Charmed Lovers
by the11thtriad
Summary: What if Phoebe had a more serious lover, before she went to live at the Manor with her sisters? This is a Phoebe/OFC.
1. Something Wicca This Way Comes

**Disclaimer: The very fact that Phoebe is completely straight on the show is all the proof you need to know I own nothin'. **

**Warning: This is femslash, specifically Phoebe and a OFC. If you have a problem with the lady lovings, I suggest you go elsewhere. **

**A/N: There's a lot of dialogue from the show used. As the chapters continue, the amount of exact dialogue from the episodes well decrease.**

**Edit: 6/11/12**

* * *

><p>Two lovers lay asleep, entangled in white sheets, on a serene Sunday morning. The sun's warm rays peeked through the half-drawn curtains, waking the taller brunette. Startling green eyes grumpily squinted, before they were once again hidden beneath thin eyelids. Callused hands yanked at the covers, while the lanky body tried to turn over.<p>

An indignant squeak escaped full lips as the smaller brunette was rudely tossed off her lover. Brown eyes opened and scowled at the now sleeping woman. "Damn it Ryan." She yanked the covers from her lover. She may have lost her pillow, but she'd be damned if she lost her blankets too.

A small tug-a-war took place between the partially awake women, until Ryan gave in with a huff and released the covers. The small brunette's triumph was shortly lived. "Fuck!" she shouted, her arms flailing, as her body came dangerously close to the edge of the bed. Her saving grace came in the form of a long arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her close to the sleep warmed body.

"You forgot to close the curtains, again," the woman grumpily informed her rescuer.

"I was tired, Phoebe," Ryan whimpered.

Phoebe sighed. It was impossible to stay mad at Ryan. It was like kicking a bent eared puppy. She wiggled against the strong body, her personal furnace... one of many reasons why she didn't understand why Ryan often stole the covers. The woman didn't need them! "It's fine. What time did you get home?"

"I tried to leave early, but a tip came in. The freaking thing didn't even pan out."

"What time did you get home?"

Ryan squirmed, well aware of the trouble she was about to get into. "Three," she mumbled.

"Three? Damn it Ryan." Phoebe propped herself on her elbow and looked down at the haggard woman. She cupped a sleep creased cheek and softly brushed her thumb beneath a heavy eye. "How am I supposed to be okay with leaving, when you don't even remember to take care of yourself when I'm here?"

"It's only a month." She hated the worried look in dark brown eyes. Why couldn't Phoebe just yell? She was used to that, but this tender worry... was painful, in its intensity.

"A lot can happen in a month, especially where it concerns you. God, I don't want to go," Phoebe whined, flopping down on their mattress and snuggling close to her lover.

Ryan kissed her forehead and didn't bother pulling away. "I don't want you to go, but you need too. It's what your grandmother wanted."

"Why can't I just wait 'till next month, when you can go with me?"

"Because," the city girl drawled, "you already told Piper you'd be there tonight."

Phoebe pouted, "It's not fair."

"Sadly, life often isn't." The two women laid in silence; the younger one's eyes growing heavy with sleep. Ryan sighed after noticing the time. She hated being responsible. "Phoebe we need to get up. There's still some packing to do."

"They won't even notice if I don't show up. It's not like we're close," she reasoned. Waiting a month wouldn't change anything in the greater scheme.

"It's what your grandmother wanted. You owe her that much at least, for all that she's done."

"I know." She had put her grams through Hell, during her teenager years. Who was she kidding? She put her grams through Hell, until the day she died. It wasn't until it was too late to say thank you, that she yearned to thank the woman, who not only spent her life raising her mother but raising her sisters and her, as well.

Ryan gave her a comforting squeeze. "If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't be here."

"What?"

The detective shrugged. "If things didn't happen exactly like they did, our paths wouldn't have crossed."

"They would have crossed."

"Maybe, but whose to say they would have crossed in the same way that led to this?" She tucked an unruly curl behind her lover's ear.

"We're meant to be," she said with conviction. "Every path would have lead to this."

Ryan smiled. "I like that idea, but there's no way to know that."

"You'll just have to take it on faith."

"Whatever you say. We really need to get up and finish packing. We're going to have to leave for the airport soon."

Reluctantly, Phoebe rolled away from her personal furnace and hissed when her bare feet hit the cold hard wood. "This day already sucks."

Looking around the partially packed room, Ryan decided the rest of the packing could wait. Her arm snaked out to wrap around Phoebe and pull the younger woman back to bed. "I can't have you leaving bed unhappy. It's bad for my reputation."

"What did you have in mind?"

"A little bit of this and a little bit of that." Her whisper trailed off as the two lovers' lips met in a tender kiss.

"Sounds perfect."

~ooOoo~

Their hearts grew heavier, while the airport drew closer. When the time came to exit the car, their steps were slow and weighted, and the only sounds were the sharp thump of the car doors and the dull thump of Phoebe's luggage hitting the asphalt.

Their arms brushed, as they walked into the crowded airport, where the air was thick with sweat and coffee. Briefly, they parted for Phoebe to check in her luggage and get her ticket.

Throwing her carry-on over her shoulder and stuffing her ticket in her back pocket, Phoebe turned away from the desk and bitchy clerk (or whatever you call them) and searched the crowds for her other half. She grinned when she spotted her grumpy brunette, sitting on one of the hard, plastic, hideously blue chairs that afforded the cop a clear view of her. Long legs were stretched out to claim a good portion of the tiled floor, and tan arms were crossed, in an unsubtle way that screamed stay the fuck away. It was like having six feet and some change of pouting child. She sped up her steps and weaved through the crowd, like a real New Yorker. Her grin grew, as Ryan jumped up to join her. Quickly, the cop took control of her carry-on and claimed her hand in a move that could only be called possessive.

"You doing okay?"

Green eyes scanned the airport. "I'm fine Phoebe."

Phoebe stepped closer, silently giving support to the semi-crowd-phobic brunette. "I'll miss you."

"It's only a month."

The smaller woman nudged her girlfriend's shoulder. "Won't you miss me?"

Broad shoulder's shrugged. "Kinda."

Phoebe narrowed her eyes and slapped the earlier nudged arm. "Ryan!"

The brunette chuckled, before green eyes grew serious and focused on the indignant woman. "I'll miss you, baby girl."

"I wish you were coming with me."

"Me too." Her eyes turned to the long lines of people waiting to pass under the metal detector. "You need to get going." She pulled the smaller woman into a hug. "I love you."

Phoebe sniffed. "Love you too."

"Only a month."

"Has that become your motto?" Phoebe questioned as she pulled away.

"Yep," she chirped with false cheer.

"I'll call you every day."

Ryan carefully let Phoebe's carry-on drop to the floor and reached out to grab Phoebe's hips to pull the other woman to her. Phoebe wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's neck and tilted her head upward in anticipation.

Their lips met and ever so slowly parted. "I love you, Ry."

The crooked smile that had made her heart stutter at first sight made a quick appearance on her lover's angular face. "I love you, too." Reluctantly, Ryan pushed Phoebe away and handed over the carry-on. "Call me when you land."

"I will."

~ooOoo~

Sighing, Phoebe rested her head against the taxi's window, letting her mind wonder (as it had been since the plane) to her lover. Her eyes slid closed, where images of their first encounter awaited her.

-x-X-x-

"_God damn it, Phoebe! Hurry your ass up!" Becka shouted, pounding on the bathroom door. "You got three minutes then I'm leaving your skinny ass!"_

_Phoebe yanked the bathroom door open. "I'm done!" She shoved her friend to the side and snatched up her black, club heels. "You'd think the world's ending the way you're going on." _

"_Screw you." _

"_You'd like that wouldn't you?" Phoebe purred. Laughing, she sprinted for the apartment door, twisting to avoid Becka's threatening hands. _

_With a little show of leg and a bit of cleavage, the two women were quickly encased inside the humid, musky New York cab._

"_This better be worth it," Phoebe grumbled, while searching through her small clasp for her allusive lipstick._

"_Eddie, says it's cool."_

"_Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the same guy who sold your underwear to the chess team?"_

"_He was twelve," Becka defended her little brother. "Besides, I got half the proceeds. Now, stop complaining. It's not like your going to have to pay for anything." _

"_True." _

_Splitting the fair between the two, the two friends jumped from the cab. Even though the ride had saved their calves from an early retirement, their noses were severely punished. _

"_Eddie better be at the door," Phoebe growled, eying the humungous line with a disgusted eye. Her shoes were made for dancing, not standing. _

"_He's there." She pointed to the taller of the two bouncers and grabbed her friend's arm. "Come on!" _

_Phoebe allowed herself to be pulled along by her excitable friend. It paid to know people... even if they are a bit crazy. _

"_Got room for two more?"_

_The tall blonde smiled. "Of course, sis." His stubbly cheeks reddened. "Hi, Phoebe." _

"_Hey, Eddie." Phoebe smiled and offered, "If you can get away tonight, find me. I'll be saving you a dance." It was only fair. Plus, the boy was kinda cute, in the boy-next-door kinda way._

_Blushing scarlet, the young man shuffled his feet and lifted the red velvet rope. "Thanks. Be careful in there," he cautioned. _

_The two women paused inside the door of the club, adjusting to the steady bump beneath their feet. "Grab a table! I'll get drinks!" Becka yelled, over the thumping music. _

_Phoebe rubbed her abused ear. She hated when Becka screamed. The damn woman had a set of lungs on her. _

_Looking around the crowded club, Phoebe groaned. She would rather be the one fighting the crowd for drinks than the one fighting the crowd for prime seating. People get vicious when drunk and hot, not to mention sexually frustrated. Weaving through the crowd, Phoebe headed to the back. Maybe, she'd get lucky and find an empty table. Shit, she'd take a table with a creeper at it, if it got her a seat._

_Way in the back in a corner almost too dark to see, the polished silver of a table shined. She sped up, hoping to grab the table, before one of the other patrons. She halted a few feet away, when her eyes had adjusted enough to see the hunched figure at the table. "Fuck," she whispered. This had been her last hope. All the other tables she had passed had been full. _

_Her feet- without her mind's consent- shuffled her closer to the table. "Excuse me!" Her mouth betrayed her, too._

_Her breath hitched, when the greenest eyes she had ever seen, trained on her. A sandy brow arched in silent question._

"_Can I join you?" Her toes crossed, echoing the movement of her fingers behind her back. When the much anticipated consent came, it took every ounce of tenuous control she had to stop herself from doing a victory dance. "Thank you!" She leaped for the empty chair beside the hunched figure. _

"_There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Becka shouted. _

_Phoebe jumped at the unexpected shout. She had forgotten that she had arrived with the redhead. "Sorry."_

_The smaller woman rolled her eyes, setting the extra beer in front of the younger woman. "Whatever. Whose your new friend?" _

_Phoebe blushed. She hadn't even bothered to ask the woman her name. Where had her manners gone? She shrugged and reluctantly admitted, "Don't know."_

_Becka playfully slapped Phoebe's shoulder. "So rude." She turned to the other occupant of the table and offered a dainty hand that was used to expensive lotion and routine manicures. "I'm Becka and the impolite brute is Phoebe." _

_Phoebe scowled, as her friend's hand was engulfed by the much larger one. It should have been her hand. She met the woman first, and they had a deal: first come, first serve. Phoebe's thoughts came to a screeching halt. First come, first serve? Since when did that apply to the **female **population? They weren't... she wasn't... you know... **that way**_. _Not that there was anything wrong being** that way**, mind you. It just wasn't her. _

"_Ryan." _

_Oh God, the way her body reacted to that soft voice provided a good amount of evidence that she was __**that way**_. _She took a large gulp of her beer. This wasn't happening, and damn it, she wasn't fighting the urge to touch Ryan!_

x-X-x

"Miss, we're here," the taxi driver's smoke roughened voice ripped her from her reminiscence. Looking back, she couldn't help but laugh at her feeble attempts to deny her attraction to Ryan. She should have known when she crossed her fingers and toes. She hadn't done that since she was a child, wishing for Santa to bring her mother back for Christmas.

She handed over a couple bills to the aged driver and stepped out with her bags in hand and the cheap airport umbrella offering some protection from the downpour. "Keep the change."

The abrupt hiccup of the taxi leaving echoed through the still night, as Phoebe stood at the bottom of the pathway of the opposing manor. She never thought she'd be back, not after the falling out with Prue. God, that had been a fuck fest. Like she ever would have slept with that _thing, _even if he wasn't her sister's fiance. _Dead man walking,_ she thought while she marched up the concrete steps and to the front door, where she squared her shoulders- with a confidence she didn't feel- and slid the key- found under the usual rock- into the lock. She pushed the heavy wooden door open while- _I wish Ryan was here- _ran through her head on repeat.

"Surprise! I found the hide a key." She raised said key for emphasis and plastered on a false smile.

"Phoebe, welcome home." The youngest sister cringed at Piper's overly cheerful voice, but non-the-less accepted the brief hug. Pulling back, Phoebe looked to her oldest sister- who stood at the bottom of the stairs with her arms stubbornly crossed- and offered an awkward semi-wave.

"Is that all that you brought?"

"That's all that I own, that and a bike." She was tempted to add the heart of a wonderful woman to her list of possessions, but Ryan was too valuable to use for shock value in one of her and Prue's quarrels. "Look I know you don't want me here-"

Prue stepped toward Phoebe. Her arms still crossed. "We're not selling grams' house."

"Is that why you think I came back?"

"The only reason that Piper and I gave up our apartments is because this house has been in our family for generations," she lectured.

Phoebe was getting pissed. Even after all this time, Prue still saw her as an immature child that needed to be scolded. She deserved the chance to show she had changed. "No, need for the history lesson. I grew up here too." And really? If it wasn't for grams wanting her here, she would have happily remained in New York, with her girlfriend.

Piper's smile faltered. "I have a great idea. Why don't I make a fabulous reunion dinner?"

"I'm not hungry." Prue abruptly turned on her heels and left her sisters for parts unknown.

"I ate on the plane," Phoebe declined. She grabbed her bags and headed to her childhood room.

~ooOoo~

It was so tempting to call Ryan again, even if she was only able to hear her voice mail. She could go hours without talking to Ryan (the older woman's job often demanded it) but that was when she knew she'd be seeing Ryan soon. Now with a month wait ahead of her, Phoebe wanted nothing more than to call her lover and not let the woman off the phone until she was boarding her plane to San Francisco.

A soft rapt on her door made her choice. She mentally chuckled as a food laden Piper entered. Some things never change. The sun would rise, the sun would set, and Piper would offer comfort with food. Flopping on her bed, she motioned for the middle Halliwell sister to join her.

"Oh, thank God. I'm starving."

Piper laughed. "Figured." A familiar voice sounded from the television and drew her attention. "Hey, that's my boyfriend Jeremy. What happened?" She made a mental note to call her journalist boyfriend.

"Oh, some woman got whacked."

"Whacked? Phoebe, you've been in New York too long."

"Yeah, I should have stayed." _Then I would be snug in bed, waiting for Ryan to come home._ "Why didn't you tell Prue I was coming back?"

"And risk her changing the locks? I don't think so." She turned off the television. "Besides, you should have been the one to tell her not me."

Phoebe nibbled on her baby carrot. She always had a strange liking for the orange vegetable. "Good point, Chicken Little. It's just so hard for me to talk to her. She always been more like a mother."

"That's not her fault. She practically had to sacrifice her own," At this point Phoebe joined in on the familiar conversation, "childhood to help raise us."

"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah." She took another bite of her carrot.

"Hey, we were lucky. We had it easy. All we had to do was be there."

"Yeah. Well, I don't need a mom anymore. I need a sister." It was at this point that a pajama clad Prue knocked on the open door with blankets in hand.

"Hey, this was always the coldest room in the house." She laid the blankets on the chair by the door.

"Thanks." Prue left without another word.

Piper sighed. The coming days were going to be interesting. Without doubt, they would be filled with her mediating one argument or another between her sisters. "You finished eating?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Come on." She tugged her sister out of bed and lead her down stairs.

"What are we doing?"

"Prue found our old spirit board in the basement when she was looking for the circuit tester."

"To my three beautiful girls. May this give you the light to find the shadows. The power of three will set you free. Love, mom," Phoebe recited. She had spent a lot of time with that spirit board in her younger years. There was always a small flicker of hope that the pointer would move and give her the answer she so desperately sought. "We never did figure out what she meant."

"The unsolvable mystery of a parent's mind."

"So true. Will Prue be joining us?"

"She has some work she needs to finish. She has a meeting first thing in the morning."

"Still the same old Prue." Jumping over the last two steps, Phoebe poked her sister, "You're still a terrible liar Piper."

"I don't have the experience you do."

The youngest Halliwell smirked. "Really? I thought you told me you have a special man friend. I can give you a few pointers if needed, even suggest a few 'informative' videos."

Piper playfully slapped her sister's arm, stubbornly ignoring the blush she could feel creeping up her neck. "His name is Jeremy, and you know that's not what I meant. Now, go sit down and stay out of trouble. I'm going to go get some popcorn."

"Don't put salt on it!" Phoebe yelled.

"Don't breath!" She poked her head out of the kitchen. "Why don't you ask the spirits," she pointed to the spirit board, "to help you with that?" She fully retreated in to the kitchen, leaving Phoebe behind to roll her eyes. Why was it that no matter your age, when you put siblings together they reverted to childish behavior?

"I'll ask them to make you stop breathing," Phoebe mumbled. She grabbed the spirit board off the dinning room table,carried it to the parlor, and set it on the small table that resided there. With the large windows, it was the perfect place to watch the raging storm.

Her mind turned with ideas to ask the spirit board. _Would Prue ever let her explain what happened with her jackass ex? Which one of her sisters rated her out to grams in fifth grade? Would the move to San Francisco blow up in her face?When would Ryan pop the question? How would her sisters react to her lesbian revelation? Would Ryan be killed on the job?_

She rested her fingertips on the pointer. _Would Ryan be killed on the job? _When it failed to move, she huffed. It was a stupid idea. It never worked when she was a kid. Why would it work now when it really mattered?

The sudden movement of the cold wood beneath her fingers had her heart pounding painfully in her chest. "Piper! Piper get in her!"

"What?"

Prue appeared from around the corner. "What did you guys do now?"

"Me?" Piper asked offended. "I didn't do anything."

"The pointer on the spirit bored, it moved on its own." Her sisters shared a look. _The _look. "I'm serious. It spelled A – T." Ryan would believe her. Well, she would have indulged her.

"Well, did you push it?" Piper asked.

"No."

"You always used to push the pointer," Prue argued.

"My fingers were barely touching it." She lowered her hands to the pointer. "Look." Seconds passed and nothing happened. Prue and Piper turned to leave and missed the quick movement of the pointer. "It did it again. It moved." Her sisters looked at her; their disbelief was clear. Prue looked at the bored.

"It's still on the letter T."

"I swear it moved." The pointer moved again, but of course Prue had already left. Phoebe pushed herself away from the table.

"There look." She pointed accusingly to the moving pointer. Let's try and see Piper deny that. "You saw that right?"

"I think so, yeah."

"I told you I wasn't touching it."

"Prue!" Piper yelled for her older sister. Wooden pointers were not supposed to move by themselves. "Can you come in here a sec?" Phoebe grabbed for the pen and envelope near by.

The soft thump of bear feet echoed down the hall. "Now what?"

Phoebe's voice wobbled. "I think it's trying to tell us something." She turned the stark white paper around and showed her sisters the five letters that the pointer had pointed to. "Attic." The house lights flickered. Only the bright, unsteady light of lightening remained.

"Don't you think you're overreacting?" Prue demanded as she trailed after a quickly moving Piper. "We are perfectly safe here."

"Don't say that. In horror movies, the person who says that is always the next to die."

"It's pouring rain. There's a psycho on the lose." The same case of violent stabbings that Piper's boyfriend was following. "Jeremy's not even home."

"So, I'll, I'll wait in the cab, until he gets home from work." She shrugged her coat on over her pajamas.

"That'll be cheap."

"Prue! I saw that pointer move."

"No what you saw was Phoebe's fingers pushing the pointer." She threw her hands up in frustration. "There's nothing in the attic. She's playing a joke on us."

"We don't know that. We've lived in this house for months now, and we've never been able to get that attic door open." She picked up the house phone, having every intention of calling Jeremy. "Great. Now, the phone doesn't work."

"Yeah, the power's out. Look, just go with me to the basement."

"What?" That's it. Her sister's crazy. Powers out, storms raging, and spirit pointers are moving. You don't go to the basement!

"I need you to hold the flashlight, while I check out the main circuit box." It was at this time that the absent Phoebe returned, with flashlight in hand.

"Phoebe," Piper eagerly pointed to the younger Halliwell. "Will go with you to the basement. Won't you Phoebe?"

"Nope, I'm going to the attic."

"No, you're not. We already agreed."

"I am not waiting for some handyman to check out the attic, and I'm certainly not waiting until tomorrow. I am going." Stubbornly, she headed up the stairs.

"Prue, wait!" Piper chased after her sister.

Up the stairs, Phoebe was cautiously approaching the attic door. She even peered around the corner, just like Ryan had taught her. Truthfully though, Ryan had always told her if she suspected anything even remotely dangerous that she needed to get the Hell of dodge. She decided right then and there to omit this small adventure from her lover.

The cold metal of the brass knob turned easily beneath her fingers, yet the door remained unwaveringly shut. She pushed with her shoulder. The people on the television always made it look so easily. Obviously, their bones were made of lead, because that slight push caused some discomfort. Dejected, she turned away. Great. She was going to have to wait for the handyman.

She made it down two steps, before the crisp click of a door unlocking, followed by the slow creak of an opening door sounded behind her. Her palms grew slick against the, now warmed, metal of her flashlight.

The attic was filled with a multitude of abandoned chairs and nick-knacks, but it was an intricately carved wooden chest that had been lighted by a flash of lightening that drew her eyes. She opened the dusty chest, pulling out the book that laid on top. It was heavy in her hands, yet weirdly belonged. She shut the chest to use it as an impromptu chair and blew off the dust that blanketed the green book. _The Book of Shadows ~1693~, _greeted her tired eyes. She flipped the thick page, and unwittingly read the small chant out loud:

"Hear now the words of the witches.  
>The secrets we hid in the night the oldest of gods are evoked here.<br>The great work of magic is sought.  
>In this night and in this hour I call upon the ancient power.<br>Bring your power to these sisters three.  
>We want the power. Give us the power."<p>

"What are you doing?" Her heart skipped at the sudden appearance of her sisters.

"Ah, reading," She shut the book and stood. "An incantation. It was in this book of shadows. I found it in that trunk."

Prue took the book from her, while Piper questioned, "How did you get in here?"

"The door opened."

"Wait a minute. An incantation? What kind of incantation?" Her hands found her hips. Not even here a day and Phoebe managed to get into something.

"It said something about there being three essentials of magic: timing, feeling, and the phases of the moon. If we were ever going to do this, now- midnight on a full moon- is the most powerful time."

"Do what?"

"Receive our powers." It sounded better in her head.

"What powers? Wait. Our powers? You included me in this?"

"No, she included all of us," Prue corrected. "Bring your powers, to us sisters three. It's a book of witchcraft." Prue's jaw clinched. This was just like Phoebe.

"Let me see that." Piper took the book from the oldest Halliwell.

~ooOoo~

While she lay in bed that night with the occasional boom of thunder shaking the manor, her mind was eerily drawn back to the book. She couldn't deny the desire to read further, to uncover the secrets that the book no doubt held. Grinning at the thought of an adventure, Phoebe slid out of bed and headed to the attic.

~ooOoo~

The following day was a different world. The sun was out in full force as if trying to make up for the previous turbulent night. Phoebe sat on the porch, coffee cup in hand, idly watching as people came out from their homes only to be surrounded by the metal of their cars as they speed off to work.

"You're up early," Piper noted from behind her, where she was shuffling her large bag and coat.

"I never went to sleep."

"Don't tell me you put on a black conical hat and spent the night flying around the neighborhood on a broom stick." Piper took a seat on the warmed metal of the porch stairs, beside her younger sister.

"The only broom I've ever had was kept inside a closet beside a mop." She sipped her coffee.

"So what were you doing?"

"Reading. Is Prue around?"

"She went to work early. Reading. Aloud?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "No, but according to the _Book of Shadows_ one of our ancestors was a witch named Melinda Warren."

"And we have a cousin who's a drunk, an aunt who's manic, and a father who's invisible." Piper stood up and headed for her car. She couldn't afford to be late today of all days.

"I'm serious." Phoebe followed after her. "She practiced powers. Three powers. She could move objects with her mind, see the future, and stop time. Before Melinda was burned at the stake, she vowed that each generation of Warren witches would become stronger and stronger, culminating in the arrival of three sisters. Now these sisters would be the most powerful witches the world has ever known. They're good witches, and I think we're those sisters."

"Look, I know what happened last night was weird and unexplainable, but we are not witches and we do not have special powers. Besides, grams wasn't a witch and as far as we know neither was mom." Piper pressed a quick kiss to Phoebe's cheek. "So take that Nancy Drew."

"We're the protectors of the innocents. We're known as the Charmed Ones," Phoebe sing-songed as her sister drove off.

She sat back on the concrete steps and sipped at her cooling coffee and lost herself in memories. If she was in New York, she would still be in bed wrapped tightly in her lover's arms. They were always slow to rise when Ryan worked the night shift. It wasn't uncommon for them to lounge around in bed for hours whether they were nibbling on breakfast or more sinful desserts. The warm thoughts made her painfully aware of how cold she was in reality, even with the sun gallantly trying to warm her. Sighing, she looked around the deserted street. At one time, this neighborhood had been her whole world. She knew of nothing else and was content in her small haven. A rueful smile formed. That had all changed when she became a teenager and gained the need to experience the adventures the big world freely gave. She quickly learned it wasn't what she expected, but she was too stubborn- too prideful- to admit she had been wrong.

She wondered if her grams would have been proud of whom she became. She wasn't the success Prue was or had the drive to succeed like Piper, but she had a will to live. That had seemed to be important to her grams. Fondly, she remembered the time a proud smile had formed on that beloved weathered face. She had been about six. She hadn't done anything great like discover the cure for cancer or even something as simple as bringing home a one-hundred on her spelling test. No, all she had done was climb back on her bike after falling and continued on, not stopping for tears.

In the present, she laughed as an idea formed. She headed back into her childhood home. Her empty cup found its way in the sink, and her shoes found their way on her feet.

It had been many years since she had pedaled down the streets of her childhood home, but not much had changed. The wind still felt good blowing through her hair; her legs still had the slight burn from the repetitive motion; and her mind was emptied of all thoughts. Her eyes roamed happily over the familiar houses and trees. God, she had missed this. There was an innocence about these streets that New York's crowded roads did not have. There was only one thing New York held that San Francisco could not offer her... at least not for, some weeks. The days would pass slowly, but soon Ryan would be there with her. That's what mattered.

Abruptly, the world became devoid of color.

She helplessly watched as a young boy, who was rollerblading with his friend, was hit by a car. She cringed at the harsh sound of the small body smashing into the windshield.

Color rushed back.

"Oh God," she whispered, her eyes frantically searching the street. Her heart beat madly as she spotted the car and the boy- the two haven't yet to meet.

The boy's laughed made it obvious that he was oblivious to the danger he was in. His padded legs pumped faster, bringing him closer and closer into the oncoming car's path.

She yelled. Watching once, as the boy's body was thrown in the air only to crash down, had been enough. She only hoped Ryan would forgive her.

She pedaled faster.

She didn't know what she was expecting, but it wasn't the all consuming darkness that descended on her immediately after she placed herself between the boy and car.

~ooOoo~

When she managed to climb her way up from the darkness, her body ached, and her head pounded. Long fingers brushed against her forehead. "Ry'nn?" She incoherently whimpered.

"You're up." The hand was quickly withdrawn.

_Prue_. She was in San Francisco not New York. It was Prue's touch, not Ryan's. "What happened?"

"You were hit by a car." She forced her eyes opened and winced as the bright light of the hospital made her head pound harder. "The doctor said you have some bruising, but they see no reason to keep you overnight. They did gave me a prescription for you, though."

Phoebe sighed in relief. She hated hospitals. The smells, the sounds, the grief that perfumed the hallways set her teeth on edge. "Good." With Prue's help, she managed to stand, fill out the needed paperwork, and make it to her sister's car.

"Do you think we could stop by Quake for a drink?" She really needed a drink. Ryan was going to freak when she found out what happened.

"I could use a drink." Or a couple, after quitting her job and running into Andy.

~ooOoo~

"The Chosen Ones? The Charmed Ones? Phoebe this is insane."

"Are you telling me that nothing strange happened to you today. You didn't freeze time or move anything?"

"Roger took an exhibit away from me." Phoebe sighed and looked away. They shouldn't have bothered coming to Quake. She should have known Prue wouldn't listen to her. "Alright, look Phoebe. I know that you think you can see the future, which is pretty ironic."

"Since, you don't think I have one. That my vision of life is cloudy compared to your perfect Hell. Even if you don't want to believe me, just once can't you trust me?"

"Phoebe, I do not have special powers. Now where is the cream?"

The grating sound of cheap metal sliding across glossed wood drew the sisters' attention. Phoebe watched triumphantly, as the pitcher of cream slid to her sister. "Really? That looks pretty special to me."

"Oh my God. So, um... I can move things with my mind?"

"With how much you hold inside, you should be a lethal weapon by now."

The oldest Halliwell rubbed her forehead. She could feel the start of a major migraine forming. "I don't believe it."

"This must mean that Piper can freeze time."

Prue abandoned her coffee and took her sister's scotch and downed it in one go. "Are you okay?" Maybe they should have went directly home from the hospital. Last thing they needed was for Prue to lose control of her new powers in a crowded restaurant.

"No, I am not okay. You turned me into a witch."

"You were born one. We all were, and I think we better start learning to deal with that."

~ooOoo~

Night had fallen by the time the sisters had left Quake.

"When I was looking through the _Book of Shadows_," Phoebe informed her sister, as they walked to Prue's car, "I saw these wood carvings. All these terrifying images of three women battling different incarnations of evil."

"Evil fighting evil, that's a twist."

"Actually, a witch can be either good or evil. A good witch follows a wican creed: harm none, do what you will. A bad witch or a warlock has but one goal: to kill good witches and obtain their powers. Unfortunately, they look like regular people. They could be anyone, anywhere."

"And this has what to do with us?"

"Well in the first wood carving, they were in a slumber, but in the second one, they were battling some kind of warlock. I think as long as we were in the dark about our powers, we were safe. Not anymore."

~ooOoo~

The pharmacist took Phoebe's script. "I'll be right back with your prescription."

"Excuse me." Prue stopped him. "Where do you keep your aspirin?"

"Uh, aisle three."

"Thank you."

"Tea works great for headaches," Phoebe called after her retreating sister.

"For this one it won't."

"You know. I'm not afraid of my powers. I mean everyone inherits something from their family, right?"

"Yeah, money, antiques, a strong deposition. That's what normal people inherit," Prue snapped. Her headache grew. _Where is the damn aspirin?_

"Who wants to me normal, when you can be special?"

"I want to be normal. I want my life to be- You know isn't this aisle three?" She rubbed her forehead, trying to hold her migraine back.

"Well, we can't change what happened. We can't undo our destiny."

"Do you see any aspirin?"

"I see tea," Phoebe chirped, earning a glare from the black clad Halliwell.

"Look, I have just found out I'm a witch, that my sisters are witches, and that we have powers that will apparently unleash all forms of evil. Evil that is apparently going to come looking for us. So excuse me Phoebe, but I'm not exactly in a homeopathic mood right now."

"Then move your headache out of your mind."

Prue's glare intensified. Why was she the one who had to pick Phoebe up from the hospital? She should have known that her sister was too stubborn to be seriously hurt. God damn it. All she wanted was some aspirin. Was that too fucking much to want?

The desired white and yellow bottle flew into her hands, slapping against her small, black purse.

Phoebe pointed a knowing finger at her sister. "You move things when you're upset."

"This is ridiculous. I thought that you landed on your arm not your head."

"You don't believe me."

"Of course I don't believe you." Prue's voice raised, only the public setting stopping her from completely losing it.

Phoebe crossed her arms and smiled. "Roger," she sang. Four bottles flew from the shelf. "Now let's talk about dad and see what happens."

"He's dead Phoebe."

"No. He's moved from New York, but he's very much alive."

"He isn't to me. He died the day he left mom."

"What are you talking about? He's always been a major button pusher for you. You're mad he's alive; you're mad I tried to find him, and you're mad that I came back. Dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad."

There was a loud roar as every bottle and box of aisle three crashed to the tiled floor.

"Feel better?"

A small smile bloomed. "Lots."

"The _Book of Shadows _said our powers would grow."

"Grow to what?" Prue's eyes scanned the covered floor. Sharing a look, the two sister snorted then broke out in laughter.

It felt good. For the first time in years, the two sisters weren't on different sides, preparing to battle each other. Finally, they were united. United, by the unusual and unplanned powers they had been gifted.

~ooOoo~

Home, the sisters searched the Manor for the middle Halliwell.

"Piper's defiantly not home, unless she's turned into a cat," Prue stated while she let the white cat jump from her arms.

"How did the cat get in?" It was cute though.

"I don't know. Someone must have left a window open. Did Piper leave a message?"

"She's probably out with Jeremy. Roger called." She pointed to the answering machine.

Prue rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I heard."

Before the two sisters, could get in another fight about that worthless ass, Piper came running through the front door. "Prue!"

"Piper?"

"Oh my God, what is it? What's wrong?" Prue questioned as the sisters moved closer.

"Quick lock the doors, check the windows. We don't have a lot of time." Piper grabbed Phoebe's hands and demanded, "in the _Book of Shadows _did it say how to get rid of a-"

"Warlock?" Phoebe finished.

"Oh my God."

~ooOoo~

Locking the last window, Prue stormed out of the room, informing Piper, "I'm calling the cops."

Piper chased after her. "And tell them that we're witches and that some freak with powers beyond comprehension is trying to kill us. Even if the cops did come, they'd be no match for Jeremy, and we'd be next."

The two sisters were interrupted by their third. "I found the answer. It's our only hope. Come on." She raced back up the stairs to the attic with her sisters following.

Minutes later saw the three Halliwells sat around a low round table, with the _Book of Shadows_ open in between them. "Okay, we've placed the nine candles, anointed with the oils and spices, in a circle."

"Wait. I only count eight," Piper spoke.

"Oh, you forgot this one." Phoebe held up the small candle.

Piper's eyes widened with disbelief. "A birthday candle?"

"I guess grams was low on witch supplies." Phoebe lit the pink and white candle.

"Alright. Next, we need the puppet." Prue moved things on. They didn't know how close Jeremy was to them.

"Got it." Piper held up the light brown puppet and reached for the rose that lay by their makeshift cauldron. She pressed the thorn stem against the abdomen of the puppet and begin to recite the spell Phoebe had found:

"Your love will wither and depart from my life and my heart.  
>Let me be Jeremy and go away forever."<p>

She threw puppet and rose into the large brass bowl. "Okay, the spell is complete."

"Let's hope it works."

Before the sisters eyes a thick smoke rose from the bowl, bubbling, and culminating into an explosion that shocked them. They let out a relieved laugh and stood, eager to leave this mess behind and pretend it never happened. Phoebe smiled at the backs of retreating sisters backs. In time, they'd learn to love the magic as she had quickly learned. She grabbed for the bowl, hoping it would be simple to wash.

"Wait!" she shouted after her sisters, as a familiar black and white world retreated from her vision. "It didn't work."

"What?"

"The spell. It didn't work."

"How do you know?"

"When I touched the pot, I had a flash. I saw Jeremy."

"You touched the pot, and you saw him?" Prue was hoping they'd have a little more than a flash to go on. There wasn't much one could do with a flash.

"He's on his way here."

The three sisters dropped candles and bowl and ran out of the attic. If he was coming to them, they'd make sure they wouldn't be there for him.

Prue yanked open the stained glass door, her eyes focused on her following sisters, making sure they were closed behind. She flinched as their screams filled her ears and whipped around to look behind her. There stood Jeremy a knife in hand and thorns bursting through his skin.

"Hello, ladies." Slowly, he stepped forward, a twisted smirk contorting his face.

A flick of dark eyes sent Jeremy flying."Get out of here. Get out of here now!" Prue ordered her sisters, protectively pushing them to the stairs.

He was quickly back on his feet. "Cute parlor trick, bitch. Yeah, you were always the tough one weren't you Prue?" He went flying again. This time Prue didn't wait for him to stand. She ran for the attic, praying that her sisters had found something to help them.

"Get things against the door!" was Piper's only solution. An old dresser was the first to be pushed, followed by a two-by-four and a chair.

Their hearts pounded painfully in their chest as the door bowed unnaturally under the force of Jeremy's hits.

"You think a chair can stop me?" The warlock's demonic voice sounded through the small attic, as said furniture went flying. "You think a dresser can stop me? Haven't you witches figured it out? Nothing. Nothing! Can keep me away."

"What do we do. We're trapped?"

"Come on. We're face them together." Prue rallied her sisters. "You remember the spirit bored?"

"The inscription on the back!"

"The power of three will set us free," Prue started.

A flick of a thick wrist sent fire flying from the dagger to surround the sisters in a circle of flames.

"Come on. We've got to say it together." Prue grabbed her sisters hands' and held them by her side. "The power of three will set us free. The power of three will set us free. The power of three will set us free," they chanted. The air around them begin to whip violently against them, the flames a thing of the past.

"I am not the only one," the warlock cackled. "I am one of millions, in places you can't even imagine, in forms you won't believe. We are Hell on this earth. You will never be safe, and you will never be freeeee!" A bright light surrounded the bloodied man.

The sisters stared in shock as the once thought human exploded.

"The power of three," Prue said quietly.

~ooOoo~

Exhausted, Phoebe made her way to her bedroom. She slipped into her pajamas, much too tired to shower, and collapsed on her bed. Blindly, she reached for the old phone on her nightstand and dialed the eleven digits that would connect her to her lover.

"_Green_," was barked into her ear.

Her eyes closed. She could picture her irritated lover on the line, silently cursing whoever had interrupted her train of thought. "Hey sweetie."

"_Phoebe_._" _Her name was softly sighed, a caress and a prayer. _"Why are you calling so late? You should be asleep."_

She squinted at the flashing read lights: 1: 38. "I..." She couldn't tell Ryan over the phone. The older woman would be on the first flight out. Phoebe knew Ryan would say her career was a small price to pay for her comfort, but she knew what the job meant to Ryan, and she wouldn't be the one responsible for taking that away from her lover.

"_Phoebe?" _The detective's voice was thick with worry. _"Baby girl? What's wrong?"_

"I just need to hear your voice." There was a pregnant pause while Phoebe figured Ryan was fighting against her natural urge to demand answers so she could fix whatever was wrong.

"_What do you want me to talk about?"_

"Anything. Everything. Just talk."

"_I met this girl." _

"Should I be jealous?"

"_Defiantly," _Ryan drawled. _"I'm starting to think she's a goddess in corporal form. It's the only explanation."_

"Really?"

"_Yep. She's perfection."_

"How so?"

"_Her eyes. God. Her eyes. It's not natural how my heart beats, just so I can get another glimpse of those chocolate depths."_

Phoebe blushed. "Ryan-"

"_Shush, woman. I'm not done. Now where was I? Hmmm? Oh, yeah. Her lips. Good golly Ms. Molly. Her lips. They're softer than the richest silk. They've become my addiction."_

"Real smooth Green." She wrapped her blankets tighter around her and pressed the phone closer to her ear.

"_Hey, you're the one who asked. Now, will you listen? I have a lot more to talk about. There's her voice, her laugh, her touch..."_

Phoebe smiled into the darkness and let Ryan's voice lead her into a calm sleep.


	2. Reunited

**Disclaimer: It's absolutely, totally, completely, all mine... I also own the moon and am working on buying the sun. **

**Warning: *Bangs head against the wall* It was femslash in the first chapter, and it's still femslash. Meaning, two women will be gettin' naked *insert immature snicker* together in that _special_ way.**

**Edit: 6/11/12**

* * *

><p>Finally, October 16th- the day that would soon see Ryan in her arms- had arrived. Phoebe was giddy. Absolutely... Fucking... Giddy. In a few hours, Ryan's plane would be landing. They would be together again, after <em>weeks<em> apart. Weeks! It had been Hell and not because of the demonic photographer who tried to steal her youth, or the warlock neighbors who tried to steal the book, or even her suddenly appearing father who disappeared just as suddenly. No, it was Hell because the only connection she had with Ryan was a few stolen phone calls. And damn it, that wasn't close to being enough.

"If I didn't know for a fact you never left the house last night, I would swear you got lucky," Piper teased.

Phoebe looked up from her bowl of cereal, consisting of Captain Crunch, Fruit Loops, and Trixs, and maturely stuck her colorful tongue out at her sister.

"Um, am I interrupting?"

"No!" Piper spoke a little too quick and loud, earning two identical snorts from her sisters. She glared at the two brunette's then turned a sweet smile to the handyman. "You're not interrupting anything Leo."

"Oh. Um, well do you want me to start on the pipes in here or in the bathroom?" He nervously shifted his tool box and readjusted his tool belt.

Before Phoebe could swallow a particularly large helping of cereal and help Piper along, the high chime of the door bell sounded. "I'll get it!" Piper shouted. The quicker she got away from the handyman the less likely she was to make a fool of herself in front of him. Prue and Phoebe snickered and silently communicated that neither was expecting anyone.

Piper's voice drifted through the halls and into the kitchen. "Hi. Can I help you?" Their guest's reply was too quiet to hear. "Yes, she's here." Phoebe and Prue stood and headed to the door. "May I ask what this is about?"

"Keeping a promise."

Phoebe stopped cold. She would know that voice anywhere.

"What's wrong?" The unknown emotion that twisted her baby sister's face, caused something sharp and hard to form in Prue's stomach. "Phoebs, are you okay?" She grasped her sister's tense shoulder and stepped closer. "Phoebe?"

"Ryan!" Phoebe yelled.

"Hey, Phoebe." Ryan slipped passed a shocked Piper. "Miss me?" Her lips barely formed the last syllable, before her arms were filled with the squirming body of her girlfriend.

Phoebe squeezed the other woman tightly, her hands turning white from where they grasped at the back of her lover's shirt. "How... you...hours..." She inhaled the scent of leather, cotton, and the scent that was uniquely Ryan.

"I caught an earlier flight. I thought you might like the surprise."

"Don't like. Love."

She sighed happily when Ryan's chest rumbled against her in laughter. Oh God, she had missed this. She was never, never, never, never, never, ever letting Ryan go again. "I'm glad, Phoebe." The greatly missed lips brushed against her cheek. "I've missed you."

"Phoebe!" Prue hissed.

Phoebe blinked a few times. Her thick lashes tickled tan, sensitive skin. With great reluctance and a few choice words, she untangled her arms and legs from around Ryan and faced her sisters.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Prue didn't like having someone under her roof she didn't know, especially someone who had such a confusing effect on her baby sister.

Phoebe pressed into the warm body behind her. "Sorry, this is Ryan. Ryan these are my sisters, Prue and Piper," she announced and respectively motioned to each woman.

"Well, that cleared everything up." Prue's voice dripped with sarcasm. "What is she doing here?"

"She's here because of me." She tensed for another fight with Prue. They fought over everything else, why else wouldn't they fight over Ryan.

"Relax babe." Phoebe forgot about her sisters as she was pulled closer to Ryan. Nothing else mattered but the woman behind her.

"Babe?" Piper squeaked.

Phoebe shrugged. "I like it." She looked up into amused emeralds and stole a kiss from smirking lips.

"You're gay? When? What? I..." Piper's head really hurt.

"I'm not gay." Ryan was the only woman who could make her heart pound, her palms sweat, and her body flush with arousal. "I just love her."

Prue rolled her eyes and demanded, "How serious is this one?" If there was one thing Prue knew about Phoebe, it was that the girl had commitment issues, and she was willing to bet that would not change just because she decided to mix things up and slept with a woman.

"It's everything."

Prue snorted. Phoebe was still one for the dramatics.

"This is all new," Ryan intervened. "You probably need time to think. So, how about Phoebe and I go out to lunch, and you two talk? After everyone's had time to cool down, we'll talk." She didn't want to be the cause of friction between her girlfriend and her sisters. Even if Phoebe denied it, she knew how much the young woman's sisters meant to her.

"Sounds perfect, sweetie." She moved to get her coat, which was then taken from her and held open by Ryan. "Thanks," she whispered as she slid into the coat. She hid her face from her sisters. She wasn't in the mood to take their ribbing for her flaming cheeks. She grabbed Ryan's hand and pulled the older woman out the door.

The door was barely shut when Phoebe stated, "I'm staying with you tonight."

"I'm staying in a hotel. My apartment's not ready yet." She wanted Phoebe with her. She wanted her lover in her arms again, but Phoebe deserved more than a night spent in a cheap hotel.

"I'm staying with you." She crossed her arms. If Ryan wanted a fight, she'd give the woman one, but there was no way in Hell she was sleeping away from her girlfriend.

Long fingers raked through short hair in frustration. Why did she have to fall in love with someone so damn stubborn? "It'll only be a week, week and a half tops."

"It's not happening. If you don't want us to stay in the hotel then we can stay here."

"I bet your sisters would looove that."

"I don't care." Switching her approach, Phoebe uncrossed her arms and slipped them around Ryan's waist. "Please, sweetie. You know how bad I sleep without you."

Sighing, Ryan wrapped her arms around the youngest Halliwell. "You fight dirty."

"When the prize is you, I'll do whatever I have to to win," Phoebe readily admitted. "Now, I believe you mentioned lunch?"

"I did. Where do you want to go?"

Playing with the warmed leather of Ryan's belt, Phoebe smiled. "I have this sudden craving for room service."

"You're incorrigible."

Phoebe didn't bother to deny it. She leaned forward and kissed the grinning cop. She broke away when her lover's skilled tongue flicked across her lips. "We'll continue this in your room." She jumped down the steps and stopped in front of Ryan's rental car then turned to the motionless woman. "Come on, stud." She laughed as Ryan ran (stumbled) down the stairs.

"You're a tease," the cop growled as she held open the passenger door.

Phoebe giggled and pressed a quick kiss to Ryan's chin. "But I'm your tease."

~ooOoo~

"Hurry up," Phoebe growled, while Ryan fumbled with the key card.

"Stop it woman." She pushed Phoebe's hands from her breast. "I can't think when you do that."

The witch pressed tightly against her lover's strong back and purred,"I don't want you to think." She tugged the cotton shirt from under the black belt and slipped her hands under. "Just feel." And oh God, did Ryan fell good beneath her hands. "Feels so good." Like warm silk. "So good." She nibbled on a convenient shoulder. "Hurry up." The distinctive click of the lock turning over echoed through the otherwise empty hall. "Finally!" She pushed the cop into the room.

"Slow down," Ryan ordered, freeing herself from Phoebe's demanding hands. "We're in no rush."

"Want you."

Ryan cupped her heated cheeks and gently kissed her. "You have me," she promised. Slowly, she slid her hands down the soft column of the younger woman's throat, over her narrow shoulders, and ghosted down her front, stopping only when she reached the hem of her shirt.

"Ry." Her voice trembled. "Please."

Slowly, ever so slowly, Ryan pulled the shirt upward and let it fall forgotten to the floor. "I have a month to make up for. I will not be rushed." Callused fingers danced across the witch's stomach and teased up her sides. A white bra joined the discarded shirt.

"Please," Phoebe panted, arching into the barely there touch of soft pads circling her nipples.

"I will not be rushed," Ryan repeated. She pushed her lover onto the rented bed then covered the quivering form with her own. "So much to claim again," she murmured, lapping at the rapidly beating pulse of her lover's neck. "I will not be rushed."

Phoebe wrapped shaky arms around the still clothed shoulders. "I'm sorry." She pressed her lips to Ryan's temple. "I won't rush you. I guess I'll just have to suffer through you worshiping every inch of me. The things one does for love," she teased. The body she clutched shook with laughter.

"If you can still form that many words, I must be doing something wrong."

"Maybe you've lost your touch," Phoebe mocked with false sympathy. "They say it happens with age."

"Challenge accepted," was growled then to Phoebe's delight, hands and mouth went skillfully to work.

~ooOoo~

Consciousness was slow to return, but when it arrived Phoebe gave a joyful wiggle and snuggled closer to the extremely warm body wrapped around her.

Soft lips brushed against her ear, followed by warm air. "You awake?"

"Eh." She was working on it, but it was a slow process- kind of like swimming through molasses.

They laid in silence for minutes, before Phoebe ended it. "Hey, Ry?"

"Yeah, baby girl?"

"Why is it that I never seem to get you out of your clothes?" She tugged accusingly at the worn denim that covered the leg thrown over her own legs.

Rolling over, Ryan pulled the younger woman on top of her and chuckled. "That's what round two's for."

"Hmmm, so true. Ready for round two?" Her hands feel to the familiar hardness of her lover's belt buckle.

"We can't." She brought the other woman's hands to her lips and kissed the soft skin. "We need to go back to the manor and talk to your sisters. We've been gone a while."

Phoebe growled. A full blown, teeth displayed, growl. "Fine but you're mine tonight."

"I'm yours forever."

"Sap." One of these days, her heart would grow used to Ryan's sugary words.

"Eh, I can live with that. Now, how 'bout a bath before we head out?"

Phoebe readily agreed. She wasn't stupid. Ryan naked and wet was not something you said no to.

"The bath's the best thing about this place," Ryan commented as she rolled Phoebe off her and stood up. "I think I even saw some jets in there." She bent down and scooped up her newly awakened lover.

Phoebe smiled into the cotton covered shoulder. Maybe all those corny romance novels that always had the damsel in distress being carried by the strong man got something right. Being held in the arms of the one you loved totally rocked. "You spoil me."

"You're a queen, who deserves the world." With careful movements, she turned the water on then leaned back against the counter to wait.

"You're the only one who thinks so."

"I hope your not including yourself in that statement."

"I'm not a queen." She was a witch that was being hunted, but Ryan didn't know that, yet.

"Guess I'll just have to spoil you more, until you know so too." She spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But who spoils you?" She wasn't the ideal partner. She never had a steady job, and until Ryan never had an interest in one. She barely graduated high school. Most of her life consisted of clubbing and landing the next hottest guy.

"You." She laughed at her lover's doubtful look. "It get to brag every day that I have the most beautiful woman in the world in my bed, and believe me, I brag."

"That's not much." Honestly, she wasn't even that beautiful. Brown hair, brown eyes- there's wasn't anything extraordinary about her. Ryan on the other hand, she was beautiful and with eyes so green they were damn near impossible to describe.

"Oh how easily you forget. I get the greatest treasure of all. Your love."

"I do love you, more than anything."

"You don't realize how expressive your eyes are. They've been telling all your secrets, since we first met."

Phoebe blushed, remembering the jealous beast that had taken root in her chest that night. "You could tell?"

"You weren't exactly subtle. I've never seen brown eyes get so green."

-x-X-x-

_For the past hour, Becka had often left the two women to remain in heavy silence as she cut lose on the dance floor. Strangely enough, Phoebe had remained firmly in her seat. She told herself it was because she had grabbed the wrong shoes for dancing, and she stuck by that excuse. _

"_So what brings you here?" She only asked because she was tired of sitting in silence, not because she had to hear that voice again. _

"_I'm here for the music."_

_Phoebe doubtfully eyed the woman. Long legs were covered with sharply pressed black slacks that had a black silk button down- that probably cost more than her rent- tucked neatly inside the waistband that was offset by a perfectly centered black built. On the back of the woman's chair, there hung a suit jacket that was no doubt tailored specifically for the slim frame. "You don't seem the clubbing type."_

_Ryan laughed. It was more of a quick bark, but there was just something genuine about it that made Phoebe's heart skip. No, no, that wasn't right. It wasn't Ryan's laugh, it was the loud music that was affecting her heart. Yep that's what it was, nothing else. _

_"You're right. I lost a bet."_

_"What was the bet?"_

"_There's this guy I work with, Jimmy Lewis. Him and I started hanging out after work. A couple pick up games here and there, catching a few horror movies, trips to the gym, you know the usual stuff friends do or so I thought, until my partner asked how I was going to let Jimmy down easily. He would not believe me when I told him Jimmy was gay. He thought it was the most hilarious thing ever. He said the whole house had bets going for how long it would take Jimmy to figure out he was lusting in vein."_

_Phoebe's hand tightened around the cold glass of her beer. _

"_One thing led to another, and I bet my partner Jimmy knew we were just friends. Well a couple days later, the idiot kissed me." _

_The brown glass of the beer shattered, a small piece wedging its way into her palm. "Shit!" _

_Long fingers wrapped around her wrist and stilled her hand. "Let me see." _

"_It's fine." Her heart on the other hand was another matter._

"_No, it's not. There's glass in there."_

_Phoebe watched in silence as the virtual stranger, carefully dabbed at the blood on her palm with one of many napkins. "I'll go to the bathroom and dig it out. It's no big." _

"_And do more damage? I think not. I'll get it out. This may sting a bit." Phoebe bit her lip, a small whimper escaping, as Ryan tried to gently dig the glass out. "I'm sorry," Ryan apologized. _

_When her hand was returned to her- glass free and napkin wrapped- Phoebe finally released her abused lip. "Sorry 'bout that. Don't know what happened." She mopped at the puddle on the table._

_Ryan stilled her hands and took over. "I got this, and there's nothing to apologize about." She shot a lopsided grin to the younger woman. "Crap happens." _

_Phoebe swallowed against her suddenly, extremely dry throat. _

_Tossing the dirty napkins aside, Ryan leaned back and asked, "Now, where was I?"_

_"The kiss."_

_"Right," Ryan laughed, "the kiss. Damn near made my head explode." She rubbed at the back of her neck. "I've never had such an awkward conversation in my life. Obviously, my partner was right. So, here I am upholding my end of the deal by spending one night in any club of his choosing."_

_"How is going clubbing a punishment?"_

_"I don't like large crowds, and I especially don't like getting hit on all night. Turns out I didn't have to worry about the later though. No one has made a move. I'm trying to figure out if I should be offended or not, but I'm kind of too happy to not have to deal with it to care."_

-x-X-x-

Ryan laughed at the memory. "You should have that glare you were sending everyone registered as a lethal weapon. One look from you and they ran like the devil was after them."

Phoebe blushed and hid against her girlfriend's neck. "Every time someone came your way, my chest became a twisted mess."

"I was just as taken with you as you were with me."

"Then why didn't you do something about all the people asking me to dance?" Phoebe questioned and became more curious when she saw the blush. "Ry?"

"You were turning them down."

"And if I didn't turn them away?"

"Then Frank would have had to bail me out of jail for starting a barroom brawl."

"A 'barroom brawl,' really? You're such a dork."

"Yeah will, this dork got the girl. All those bumbling fools got is their own grungy mitts, which they would have lost if they touched you."

Phoebe stroked her girlfriend's clinched jaw and admitted, "I think I have a double standard for you."

"Huh?"

"Maybe it because you're a woman."

"What? I'm lost."

Phoebe shrugged. "Never found possessiveness hot before you."

"I. Don't. Share."

"I'm not asking you to." She kissed the tightly pressed lips. "Now, put me in the tub and get in. The waters going to get cold."

"Right." Setting Phoebe down, Ryan began to undress.

Phoebe greedily watched as the sleek form, with all of its sinewy muscles, was revealed. There should be a law stating that Ryan must always be naked. Then again if there was, she'd have to kill a lot of people for ogling her lover. Life wasn't fair.

"Scoot up a bit."

Phoebe scooted forward to allow Ryan to slide in behind her. Long arms wrapped around her and pulled her tightly against the heavenly unclothed body. "I've missed this." She happily squirmed in the familiar embrace, loving the feel of skin gliding against skin.

"As have I." Ryan lathered a washcloth and begin to wash her lover.

They passed the time in silence with Phoebe soaking in the caresses she had been deprived of for a month and Ryan savoring the feel of having the silky skin that she craved so desperately beneath her hands once again.

Phoebe stole the wash cloth from Ryan and twirled around in the gentle embrace. Slowly, she began to wash Ryan. Warmness filled her at the sight of her lover completely relaxed beneath her. This was hers, only hers. No one would ever get the honor of experiencing Ryan like this. "Did anyone ever tell you you're a softy?"

"Shush," Ryan hissed playfully, covering Phoebe's mouth with her hand, "Don't say things like that. What if someone heard you? There would be no saving my reputation."

Mischievously, Phoebe licked the palm over her lips, enjoying the display of mock disgust that her soul mate (there was no other way to describe what she felt for the other woman) tried to portray.

"Sweetie, your reputation has been in tatters for months."

"Blasphemy. How can you utter such nonsense?"

"You're hopeless."

"Does that mean I have to return the card? Because I paid a hefty price for that butch card."

"How about this, I won't tell anyone you're just a big softy."

Ryan pouted. "I suppose that will work."

Phoebe smiled. "Ah, sweetie don't be like that. You're still my big, bad butch."

"Now you're just mocking me."

"Perhaps."

"You're lucky you're kinda cute."

Phoebe slapped a tan shoulder. "Kinda cute?"

Ryan nuzzled against Phoebe's neck then kissed the sensitive skin. "Cute, beautiful, Goddess, same thing."

"Smooth Green."

"I try. We need to get ready to head back to your sisters."

Ryan climbed out of the tub, grabbed a towel and quickly dried off, before moving to her lover. Once both women were dry, Ryan wrapped the towel around her smaller girlfriend and carried her back to the bedroom.

"What am I going to do about clothes? Mine are all wrinkled and wet." She distinctly remembered Ryan stepping on them on the way from the bathroom.

"You can borrow some of mine," Ryan offered.

"I'll swim in them. You have nearly a foot on me."

Ryan buckled her built and gave a final tug to adjust her shirt. "There's a shop down the street. I'm sure they'd have something for you." She slipped on her shoes, kissed Phoebe goodbye, and was out the door, before Phoebe could stop her.

"Damn woman," the youngest Halliwell grumbled. She tangled herself in the comforter, smiling when she picked up Ryan's unique scent. Her eyes grew heavy and a calm fog settled over her mind.

A playful tug to her toe returned her to reality.

"They don't sell undergarments, but you can borrow a pair of my boxers if you want. I'd offer you a bra, but you're bustier than I am."

Phoebe laughed as she reached for the offered clothes. "I don't mind going commando until we get back to the Manor." She slipped the sweatpants and t-shirt on quickly. Dressed, she eyed Ryan curiously. "Ryan, what do you have behind your back?" Ryan shuffled her feet. "Ry?"

Shyly, the older woman offered the rose she had hidden behind her. "I'm sorry for ruining your clothes, and I'm sorry for not taking you to lunch." She revealed a large Hershey kiss.

Phoebe softly kissed her girlfriend's blushing cheek. "Thank you, sweetie."

~ooOoo~

Phoebe tightly grasped Ryan's hand as they made their way up the stairs to the manor. She paused as they reached the front door. "I'll be right beside you, love." She soaked up the older woman's words before opening the door and entering with her head held high.

Her sisters were both sitting in the parlor. "Are you two ready to talk?" On the drive home, she had decided she wouldn't beat around the bush.

"Yes," Piper answered, "Why don't you two sit down?"

Phoebe searched the parlor and sighed. There were only two seats left and they were separated by the coffee table. She mentally cursed her sisters for taking the couch. Ryan gave her hand a quick squeeze before letting go and taking the seat to their right. Phoebe looked from her lover, to her sisters, to the other chair, and back.

"Phoebe?" Piper prompted.

Phoebe huffed and made her way to her seat. She got a perverse pleasure out of her sisters' gaping as she sat on Ryan's lap and pulled long arms around her stomach. "You two have questions."

"What happened to your clothes?" Prue demanded.

"Really Prue?" Phoebe rolled her eyes. "You know what happened."

"You really haven't changed. Still," there was a long hesitation, "liberal with your bed partners I see."

"Prue!" Piper squeaked and slapped Prue's thigh.

The youngest Halliwell released a heavy sigh. "It's fine." She didn't expect any different. Prue was never one to retract her claws.

"How long have you two been together?" Piper redirected the conversation.

"Fourteen months."

"Fourteen months?" To say the sisters were shocked would be like saying getting struck like lightening gave you a slight sting. To their knowledge their baby sister's longest relationship was a month. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't think it was the type of conversation to have over the phone, Piper."

"How did you guys meet?" Prue asked. Dismissing the female issue, Ryan still didn't seem Phoebe's type.

"We met at a club."

"Of course you did." Okay, so maybe Ryan was exactly Phoebe's usual type.

"It was a very pleasant twist of fate, seeing as this one here," Phoebe patted the hands on her stomach, "isn't one for the clubbing scene."

"Never knew it had such good benefits," Ryan murmured for Phoebe's ears alone.

"Are you up for a long distance relationship?" It was hard to see her boy crazy sister with a woman, but Piper couldn't deny that she seemed happy.

It took a moment for it to dawn on Phoebe that she hadn't told her sisters about Ryan's move. "It's not long distance. Ryan's staying."

"Where does she plan to live? What about work? A car?" It was hard to imagine that anyone dating her free spirited sister would have the sense to plan ahead, especially sense said person managed to survive her sister's sporadic behavior for over a year.

"I'll take this one," Ryan whispered.

"Kay."

After clearing her throat, Ryan answered, "I have an apartment about ten miles from here. It should be ready in a week. Until then, I'm staying in a hotel. I plan to go shopping for a car, as soon as Phoebe can. In the mean time, I have a rental. As for my job, I start next week. My new boss wanted to give me some time to adjust to the city."

Phoebe laughed at Prue's wide eyed stare. "You weren't expecting that."

"I don't see why I'm so surprised. It makes since you'd get _smart_ and get with someone who would take care of you. What's your plan? Use her until she croaks?" Prue couldn't believe that her sister could be in a serious relationship without a selfish reason. It wasn't the Phoebe she knew.

"I-" Phoebe stopped and forced a painful swallow. Her fingers dug into Ryan's arms, anchoring the woman to her. "It's not like that," she whispered.

Soft lips brushed against her ear. "I love you, baby girl."

"Why don't we continue this later? I'll make some dinner and after we eat, we can talk," Piper offered. It was obvious that what Prue said had affected Phoebe in a big way.

"Fine," Ryan answered. "Where's Phoebe's room?"

"Upstairs, third door on the right."

With very careful maneuvering and a stroke of luck, Ryan managed to stand without releasing her hold on her tense lover. She pressed her lips against Phoebe's heated forehead and whispered, "I'm right here."

"We weren't even together when you-" She could barely manage to think it, let alone speak it. "I still had nightmares when you told me." She had nightmares to this day, every time Ryan worked nights and she was left to sleep alone.

Piper and Prue unashamedly listened to the quietly spoken conversation as their sister was carried up the stairs. When the two women could no longer be seen, Prue turned to her younger sister. "What do you think that was about?"

Piper ignored her and hissed, "You were out of line with what you said. You may not think the best of Phoebe, but how can you think so low of her?" Piper stumped to the kitchen, her mind filling with soothing ideas for dinner.

~ooOoo

When Ryan was sure Phoebe was sound asleep, she gently rolled the other woman off her and stood. Leaving the room, she followed the smell of food to the kitchen. Like she thought they would be, both of her quarry were there. She focused on Prue. "Use her until she croaks? Was that really necessary?"

"How was I supposed to know she'd react like that?" She wasn't about to admit to this stranger that she had any regrets. Phoebe was **her **sister, and what happened between them was no one's business but theirs.

"Why did she react like that?" Piper asked. It wasn't like Phoebe to be so openly emotional.

Ryan eyed the two sisters. She hated talking about that time, but if it was what it took so the two sisters wouldn't accidentally step in it- so to speak- then so be it. "I was shot."

"You were shot?" Prue was not expecting that.

"It happened years ago, during a domestic disturbance when I was a beat cop."

"You're a cop?" Was she dreaming? Phoebe- the rebel- dating a cop?

Ryan nodded.

"That must be hard on Phoebe," Piper noted.

"Yeah, it is," Ryan agreed. "That's why I'm telling you this. Phoebe can take a lot and give as good as she gets, but don't- **don't**- joke about me dying." She glared at Prue. "Needless to say, she doesn't find it funny."

"Where were you shot?" Piper surprised herself with that question, but there was a morbid curiosity there that just wouldn't leave.

Hearing the scuffle of familiar feet behind her, Ryan dismissed their conversation and turned to watch as a sleepy Phoebe shuffled toward her. "What are you doing up?"

Phoebe kept shuffling until she thumped against Ryan's chest. "My pillow left."

"Sorry. I just wanted to have a quick word with your sisters."

Phoebe didn't bother to ask what was said. She knew how protective Ryan was. "What's for dinner?" Phoebe inquired instead.

"Lasagna."

Phoebe's stomach gave a loud growl of approval, breaking the tension that still lingered in the room.

~ooOoo~

Phoebe stared out the window of the rental car. She was terrified that her being a witch would be too much for Ryan to handle. It would be understandable what with the powers, demons, warlocks, and everything else that the book mentioned.

"Hey, guess what." Her hand was softly squeezed.

"What?"

"I love you."

She squeezed her lover's hand painfully tight. This could be the last time she ever experienced this feeling of contentment, the last time she was ever on the other side of that intense gaze that glowed with love for her. "I love you, too."

The rest of the car ride was silent.

~ooOoo~

Phoebe paced the hotel room, her hands fidgeting with her shirt, until long arms snagged her around the waist and pulled her into the strong body of her cop. "Phoebs, just say it. I love you." She kissed the younger woman's temple. "Nothing's going to change that."

"You can't know that."

"Trust me. I know."

"Fine," gathering every ounce of courage she possessed she blurted, "I'm a witch."

"You're a what?"

"A witch."

"Huh?"

"My sisters and me are witches."

Ryan laughed. "Nice. Almost had me there. Now what is it you really wanted to tell me?"

"I'm a witch," Phoebe repeated. "I read a spell that unbound our powers, my first night back in San Francisco."

Green eyes narrowed, as Ryan stepped back from the other woman. "Why are you only telling me now? You've known for a month."

Phoebe shivered and stuffed her hands into her pockets. It was the only way to stop her from clinging to her lover and begging for forgiveness. "I didn't want to tell you over the phone."

"It would have taken seconds."

"Not to tell you everything."

"There's more?" Ryan ran her hand through her hair. This was one twisted nightmare. "Tell me."

Phoebe flinched, her eyes moving to the small window. Fourteen months- **fourteen months**- and that was the first time Ryan had ever taken that tone with her. "Piper and me were playing with the spirit bored our mother gave us as children when the pointer moved on its own. It told us to go to the attic. I went and found a book that had a spell that called for a witch's power. I didn't think it was real, but the next day weird things started to happen. Piper froze a chef during her interview for the chef position at Quake, Prue moved things with her mind, and I had a premonition of a boy getting hit by a car."

"The boy?" She always had a soft spot for kids.

"He's fine. I took his place," Phoebe distractedly stated. "I didn't think the spell was real. I never-"

Ryan stopped her with a raised hand. "What do you mean, you took his place?" Her voice was low and dangerous.

"I made sure the car hit me instead," the seer whispered.

"Hit you instead! What the Fuck, Phoebe!" Ryan's body trembled with rage that barely suppressed the terror that was coursing through her veins. "Can you get rid of them?"

"No. We were protected with our powers bound. With them released, it's like we have a big, flashing sign saying kill us over our heads. Piper's boyfriend turned out to be a warlock who was waiting for us to get our powers so he could kill us and take them. We killed him. Our new neighbors were really shape shifters who wanted the book. We killed them. Our dad came back, to try to get us to get rid of our powers. When we didn't, he left. I- they- I..."

She collapsed in relief when Ryan's arms closed around. She closed her eyes and reveled in the reality of her lover's solid form. Maybe, just maybe, Ryan wouldn't leave.

"Why are so many things after you?"

"We're the Charmed Ones: three sisters of the Halliwell line. We're supposed to be the most powerful witches in centuries. They want our powers."

"I hate this," Ryan admitted. "I hate the idea of you being put in danger." She squeezed Phoebe almost painfully tight.

"But?"

"I doubt you'd give it up."

"If you want, I can try." She'd track a warlock down and give them her powers, if she had to.

"I can't ask you to do that." Stepping back, Ryan gave a shaky smile. "You've changed since you got here, and I'm willing to bet it's due to the magic."

"I haven't changed."

"Yes, you have. It's in your eyes. You're confident, and I'm not talking about the sexy confident you always are. I'm talking about the self worth confidence. One month with these powers have done more to make you believe that you are someone truly amazing than I have managed to do in a year."

"Ry?"

Shamefully, Ryan admitted, "I don't have magic. I won't be able to help you fight. You don't need me to tell you how amazing you are, anymore. You don't need me."

"Do you know what I did after Jeremy?"

"No."

"I called you. Do you remember what you did?"

Ryan shrugged. It didn't really matter. She thought she'd have more time, before Phoebe realized she didn't need her. She wanted more time. God, did she want more time.

"You spent hours telling me why you fell in love with me." Hesitantly, Phoebe cupped Ryan's cheek. "I don't understand what someone like you see's in me, but I never doubt you love me. I see it every time you look at me. Please, give me the same benefit. Powers or not, I love you, and I _need_ you." She kissed the taller woman's tightly clinched jaw. "I love you, Ry." She squeaked when long arms coiled around her and squeezed her tight.

"I can't lose you."

Phoebe's eyes fell closed at the anguish in her lover's voice. "You won't." She nuzzled against a convenient shoulder and slowly moved her way upward to a dark neck. "Let me show you just how okay I am."


	3. Dead Man Dating

**Disclaimer: I didn't do it! I didn't I tell ya! It was Guy. He blew it up. I'm innocent! Oh, wait. Wrong speech. Eh, in that case. Not mine.**

**Warning: Oh. My. God. THEY'RE GAY! **

**Edit: 6/11/12**

* * *

><p>"Make it stop," Phoebe groaned.<p>

Ryan chuckled but didn't move. "I can't reach it." She wiggled her pinned arms. "I'm kinda stuck." Sighing, Phoebe opened her eyes, glared at her lover then slapped the alarm clock. Ryan was surprised that the cheap plastic held up to the forceful smack. "You okay?"

"No," Phoebe pouted. "Stay."

Ryan hugged Phoebe to her. "I can't call off on my first day."

"It's not fair."

"Life often isn't." A moment of silence followed. "You're acting like I've never had to go to work."

The young witch managed a slight shrug. "I've gotten used to having you around all the time." It was nice not having to worry about that damn phone going off. Better yet was knowing Ryan would be there every night.

"You won't even notice I'm gone. You have that interview at that hotel today. Aren't you excited?"

"Ecstatic." She rolled away, taking the comforter with her. Ryan followed her and draped and arm over her waist.

"I told you we don't need the money." She nibbled a bare shoulder. "If you don't want the job, don't bother. Wait for something you'll enjoy."

"**You**. You don't need the money."

"I've told you a million times. What's mine is yours."

Phoebe ignored the familiar argument. "She's my sister. The least I can do is get a job to buy her a fucking birthday gift." Ryan retreated.

"I'm going to take a shower. Try and get some more sleep. I'll wake you in a bit, unless you don't want me to take you, anymore. I mean I assumed I would take you, but if you want to take a cab that's fine. I can have the front desk call you a-"

"Ry, stop." Scooting to the edge of the bed, Phoebe grabbed Ryan's hips and pulled the older woman in between her legs and rested her forehead against her stomach. "I'm sorry. I must have woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Forgive me?"

"Always. You wanna talk about it?"

"Not right now." Ryan didn't need to go to work on her first day at a new precinct loaded down with her problems.

Running her hands through her lover's sleep rumpled hair, Ryan shyly requested, "Will you join me for a shower?"

"Since when do you need to ask?" Shit, she had really fucked up, if Ryan was that unsure. "You naked, wet, and nowhere to run is not something I will ever turn down." With a playful snap of the elastic of her girlfriend's boxers, Phoebe stood. "Show me what you got, stud."

"If I must."

"You must." Tenderly, she kissed the puckered flesh of the cop's chest. "You really must."

Finally, the light dawned. That's why Phoebe was so... irritated. She was an idiot to not have realized sooner. She hugged the younger woman tightly to her. "I love you."

"Love you too."

~ooOoo~

Ryan parked her car and eyed the hotel. It was a lot classier than the one she was staying at. "Should have booked reservations here," she mumbled. Phoebe silently disagreed. The pompous place was definitely not Ryan. "Doesn't matter now, I suppose. The apartment should be done fairly soon." Dismissing the subject all together, she focused on her nervous lover. "You'll get the job."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I give them two minutes."

"Two minutes?"

"Until they're goo in your hands."

"You're a dork."

"I think I'm being generous. I didn't even last that long. Believe me. They would have to be idiots not to hire you."

"I'm not a very good choice. I can't control what I see or when I see it."

Ryan chuckled. "Phoebe, you're one of the few- if not the only- applicant that's a genuine psychic. If they don't hire you, it's their lost. We'll figure something out. There's no rush."

"I'm buying Prue's present." Phoebe remained stubborn on this point. She would show Prue that she wasn't using Ryan for her money. "And if the only way I can do that is by being a psychic at some pompous hotel, so be it."

"In that case, good luck." She leaned over the console and whispered against the seer's lips, "You'll blow them away."

Phoebe threaded her fingers in her lover's short hair and captured her girlfriend's full lips. When her lungs demanded it, she pulled back and caressed her beloved's face. "Be careful."

"Always. Love you, baby girl."

"Love you too." After another stolen kiss, Phoebe scrambled out of the car. If she waited any longer she wouldn't get out, and Ryan would never make her.

~ooOoo~

Stepping into the Homicide unit, she let her eyes scan the room, looking for the one she was likely to be paired with. If it was another old school, close minded, homophobic dickwad, she wouldn't be responsible for her actions. Her musing were ended by the sharp bark of her new Captain. "Green! Lockley! Get in here!"

Ryan was surprised when a slender blonde stood from her desk and headed for the Captain's office. Being paired with a woman would be... different.

"Shut the door and sit down."

"Yes, sir."

"Kate Lockley meet Ryan Green. Ryan Green meet Kate Lockley. Congratulations, you two are now partners."

In an age old tradition, Ryan sized up the woman who would be responsible for watching her six. At first glance, there was nothing about the woman that said cop. Elementary school teacher? Yes. Cop? No. She was a small woman, with delicate hands that looked like they belonged on white keys not wrapped around the cold metal of a gun. But her eyes, they were another matter. Their pale blueness were shadowed with the knowledge gained only by the job.

"I have a case down in Chinatown." The Captain interrupted their showdown. "I want you two to work it. I think it will be a good case to get your feet wet, Green.

Ryan turned her full attention to the grey haired man. "What's the case, Captain?"

"A body was found in an alley in Chinatown, shot and burned."

"Are there any leads?"

"The case just came in this morning."

"Have they moved the body from the alley?" Lockley asked.

"Yes."

"Damn it. Why'd you let them do that, Captain?"

"It wasn't my choice. "

Lockley grunted her displeasure.

The Captain leaned forward in his chair. "Look, Lockley. I don't know how they did it in L.A., but here we don't stop working a case because of a small speed bump."

The sharp ring of Ryan's phone sliced through the tension that had invaded the room. Staring at the phone, Ryan debated on answering. There was only one person who would be calling her.

The Captain leaned back in his chair and smiled. He thought about letting the young inspector sweat a little more, but when it looked like she was about to shake her leg right off, he intervened. "Go ahead and answer it. You won't do us any good, if you're worrying about who's on the line."

"Thanks." The Captain snickered at the abundant relief that fell over the kid's face.

"Green."

"_I got the job."_

"That's great."

"_Yeah, but there's a problem. A ghost kind of showed up at the hotel, and Piper just happened to be there, and well... he sort of followed her home."_

"Are you serious? How does that even happen?" Dogs followed people home. Shoot, sometimes even cats did, but not ghosts.

"_It the wonders of being Charmed."_

"What can I do?"

"_Can you come to the manor after work? I know we said we'd stay at your hotel, but I really need to help Piper with this."_

"Are you sure your sisters won't mind? I think Prue's still angry over last week."

"_Don't worry about them. I'll take care of it. I want to see you tonight."_

"In that case, I'll come to the Manor after work."

"_Thanks, sweetie. I got to go. Piper's starting to really freak. I love you."_

"Love you too." Wide-eyed she returned the phone to her pocket. A ghost. A ghost followed her girlfriend's sister home. A ghost. How does _that_ happen?

"Everything alright, Green?"

"Yes, sir."

"I take it that would be the reason you moved here."

"Yes, sir," Ryan confessed.

The Captain let out a bark of laughter at the smug gleam in the woman's eye. "Damn, kid. You're just like your pops." He cleared his throat of the tightness caused by Ryan's crooked smile. "That man would have moved heaven and earth for your ma."

"He taught me well, sir."

"I have no doubt. Now, back to business. You two should head out. You never know when it's going to rain."

"Yes, sir."

The two women left the office and headed to an unmarked car. Unknown to them in an office behind closed doors, grief filled hazel eyes rose toward the pock marked ceiling. "She's the spitting image of ya, Pete, but she's got her mama's eyes." Remembering his old partner, the Captain quietly chuckled, "What am I telling you this for? You probably haven't taken your eyes off her for a second."

~ooOoo~

"Who you gonna call?"

Phoebe shook her head in mock disappointment. "That was really bad, sweetie. I expected better from you."

"Hey! I'll have you know, it's not every day you get a call from you girlfriend saying a ghost followed her sister home."

"Well, you'll never have to worry about getting bored."

Pulling Phoebe onto the porch with her, Ryan agreed, "Never crossed my mind." She leaned down and claimed the younger woman's lips in a kiss that quickly turned heated.

Phoebe encircled Ryan's neck and moaned into the kiss as their tongues tangled in a very enjoyable dance.

"Do you two ever stop?" The exasperated tones of the middle Halliwell halted Ryan's wandering hands. "Are you trying to give the neighbors a show?" She groaned when she was meet with two unrepentant stares. "It's like talking to a wall." Walking back inside, she called over her shoulder, "Prue's in the attic," and continued with her original journey to the kitchen for a glass of water.

Prue barely glanced away from the book when the two lover's entered.

Ignoring the slight, Phoebe pushed Ryan onto the old couch in the attic then snuggled against her side where she let a happy murmur escape as one of her lover's arms slid around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

Once Piper had joined them, Ryan inquired of the room at large, "What does this ghost want?" The short phone call with Phoebe in the Captain's office didn't allow for much detail.

"His name is Mark Chao. He was shot yesterday in Chinatown when he was walking home from his mother's after his birthday dinner," Piper described, enviously watching the closeness of the two women on the couch.

"Why was he shot?"_Please let this be a coincidence. _

"He doesn't know. He said he had never seen the guys before. They cornered him in the alley, shot, then burned him."

_So much for a coincidence._

"What's wrong?" Phoebe eyed her tense lover.

"The case I'm working is in Chinatown. The victim had been shot and burned. The body was found this morning in an alley," Ryan expanded, "We haven't identified the body yet. We're still waiting on the ME."

Distractedly, Phoebe hummed. Her mind was focused on getting Ryan to relax. Undoing a few buttons of Ryan's shirt, she slid her hand inside and raked her nails against Ryan's tense stomach. A good belly scratch could turn the older woman to jelly; it was one of the first things she had discovered.

"Don't laugh."

Phoebe buried her head against Ryan's neck to hide her smile.

With a pat to Phoebe's hip, Ryan turned to the sisters. "Did anyone see Mark go in to the alley? I can't show up tomorrow with a name and no explanation of how I got it."

"Can't you just say it was an informant?" Phoebe asked.

"I haven't been in town long enough to have any informants."

"Right, stupid me" A sharp pinch to her hip caused her to yelp and try to squirm away from her lover. "What the hell?"

"Don't talk like that," Ryan hissed.

"Sorry." She kissed the angry woman's clinched jaw then snuggled against her neck and playfully rubbed her nose against the sensitive skin.

Piper eyed the two women dubiously, finding their interactions a little weird. "No one saw him." Best to just ignore it for now. "We need to find a way to identify his body quickly. His mother needs to bury him."

"Besides for the obvious, what's the rush?"

"There's a Chinese legend that says all souls from bodies not properly buried will be taken to the underworld. The collector has already come for Mark once."

Prue slammed the book shut. "There's nothing here."

Ryan took in the disheveled and tired appearance of the three sisters and asked, "Mark is here now, right?" Six eyes focused on a corner of the attic.

"He's here, sweetie."

"Will he be okay overnight?"

"I don't see why not," Piper replied.

"Then, how about we all turn in for the night and attack this problem with fresh eyes tomorrow?"

"She's right. There's not much we can do tonight." Prue's agreement shocked the other three women. Wisely, none commented.

Ryan stood from the couch and pulled Phoebe up wrapping her arms around her smaller lover's waist. "Is you nightstand drawer empty?"

"I cleaned it out after I called you."

Seeing the quizzical stares on Prue's and Piper's faces, Ryan revealed, "I don't like to have my gun out in the open. I usually keep it in a safe when I'm home, but I don't have that option here."

"Oh." Inexplicably, their eyes were drawn to Ryan's hip. For the first time they took notice of the gun that rested on the worn leather.

With a laugh, Phoebe tugged Ryan out of the attic.

~ooOoo~

Phoebe leaned against the solid wood of her bedroom door and giggled. "I can't believe they didn't notice before." How does one miss a gun and shiny gold badge?

Ryan laughed as she unclipped both badge and gun from her belt and placed them in the top drawer of the nightstand. "Hearing and seeing are two completely different things."

"Thinking about and actually touching are two completely different things too." She pulled Ryan to her and untucked the partially unbuttoned shirt. "They do cause similar reactions though." She pushed the shirt off broad shoulders, then pulled it down long arms, to let it fall to the floor. Her hands moved to stroke over the warm skin revealed. After a timeless moment, they came to rest on Ryan's silver belt buckle. Slowly, ever so slowly, she undid the clasp.

"What is with you undressing me?" Fascinated green eyes watched as small hands played with her zipper.

"I often don't get the chance. Someone usually makes me wait for round two." She pushed the black slacks down muscular legs and steadied the older woman as she stepped out of shoes and socks. "I like unwrapping my present."

"I know the feeling." Ryan told her as she tugged Phoebe's shirt off and removed her pants in quick succession. "How was your first day, besides for the ghost?"

"Do you really want to talk about this now?" The seer arched into the large hands dancing across her stomach.

"Yes."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "I had a vision."

"About what?"

"Oh god." Did Ryan really expect her to think when she was doing that with her lips?

"About what, Phoebe?"

"Guy. Car. Splat."

"Very articulate, love." She gave a sharp nip to the panting woman's neck. "Do you have a plan?"

"Later."

"If you need help, you know where to find me."

"That is a problem for tomorrow." Or never. She was all for never leaving her childhood room.

"What's a problem for tonight?"

"I wouldn't say it's a problem. It's more like a desire." She licked the raised skin of her lover's chest.

"What do you desire?"

Phoebe swallowed at the seductively whispered words. "You."

"What about your sisters?"

"We can be quiet."

Ryan pulled back. "Did I get you confused with someone else? Could have sworn you were never quiet."

Her anger was sudden but all the more powerful for it. "You better not have."

"You have the greenest eyes," Ryan teased.

"Whatever." Ignoring the now worried woman, Phoebe climbed into bed. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to control the beast that was raising havoc in her chest. Fucking women had no right to touch Ryan. She'd stab them to death with a fucking toothpick if she ever met one. Bitches.

Raking her hand through her hair, Ryan turned to the small chair. It looked like it'd be the torture device for her tonight. Craftily, she folded her lanky body into the chair then covered herself with the blanket that had been on the back of the chair. "Sweet dreams, baby girl," she whispered more to herself.

Phoebe kept silent. She wouldn't be the one to give in tonight. Ryan was the in the wrong. She never should have brought up old lovers, not when they were about to make love. What the Hell had gotten into Ryan for her to make such a monstrous slip? Usually, getting her to talk about ex-lovers was like pulling teeth with pliers and no numbing agent.

When an hour passed and the bed still hadn't dipped with Ryan's weight, Phoebe rolled over and peered around the pillow she was holding in a death grip. "Ouch," she whispered. Ryan's position looked painful. She didn't even know it was possible for someone with such long legs to fold that small. "Ryan?" she called softly, hoping the woman wasn't really sleeping. "Are you up?"

"Yeah."

"Why aren't you in bed?"

Pained green eyes flitted to her then quickly away. "I didn't," she cleared her throat, "I didn't think you wanted me to be."

Flopping back on her bed, Phoebe stared at the faded white ceiling. It was official. She was an idiot. Ryan always waited for her to set the pace, when it came to their emotional intimacy. Shit, she'd even had to give the dominant woman a kick in the ass to ask her on a date.

-x-X-x-

_Officially, they were just two friends hanging out but in the privacy of her mind, Phoebe imagined they were working to become so much more. To her, the two weeks following their original meeting was a courting period. What else could it be called? They talked every day, and their 'dates' were slowly progressing- first lunch, then dinner, and now dinner and a movie- and during every 'date' Ryan had been the perfect gentlewoman. She opened doors, pulled out chairs, walked her to her door, offered her coat, and a million little things that made Phoebe pleasantly warm. _

_Yet, Phoebe wanted to scream._

_None of it was enough. The guiding touch on her lower back, the casual touch to her arm to catch her attention, or the accidental brush of their bodies, just wasn't cutting it. She wanted more. She wanted to be held against that lithe body, wanted to feel those guiding hands leading her to release. But time and time again, she was denied, because Ryan was the perfect gentlewoman. Damn her._

_"Have you decided on a movie yet?" _

"_Something scary." _

"_Something scary?" The detective looked doubtful. "You sure?"_

_If it made the older woman happy then, "Definitely." As long as she was around, there would not be a repeat of the Jimmy disaster. "Any ideas?" She looped her arm with Ryan's. The woman was her's; she just didn't know it yet. She giggled; she had come a long way from her denial in the club._

"_Something funny?" _

"_Nope."_

_Ryan shrugged and continued on, "_Scream _came out last week. It looks interesting."_

"_That's fine, but we better hurry, before all the good seats are taken." Like the ones in the very back._

"_Hmm." _

_When they reached the ticket booth, Phoebe was slightly panting, after having to take two steps for every one of Ryan's. _

"_Two tickets for _Scream_, please." The tall woman gave the ticketor the money, then took the tickets._

_"I could have paid." It was things like that, that made her sure Ryan didn't just see her as a friend. _

"_Would you like popcorn or a drink?"_

"_It depends. Are you going to pay for those as well?" _

"_Sorry." She looked away from the angry woman. "I didn't mean to offend you. I just... it's just... I like paying." _

_Phoebe wanted to kick her own ass. She wasn't angry. She was... well, **frustrated**_, _but it wasn't Ryan's fault. Technically, it was, but Ryan didn't know what she was doing. "Ryan." She turned the woman's head to her and paused. It was just plain unnatural having eyes so green."I'm sorry. You've been wonderful. I'm just a little off today." _

"_Oh. Can I do anything?" _

"_Mhmm. A hug?" She'd take whatever she could get. _

"_I can do that." _

_Phoebe mentally whimpered while she was held against the very soft and very warm body of her friend. _

"_Do you want anything?" Warm breath tickled her ear._

"_No thanks." Though if staying in Ryan's arms for eternity was an option, she'd gladly take that._

_Ryan pulled back and tucked an unruly hair behind Phoebe's ear. "You sure?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Alrighty, then." _

_Phoebe wanted to scream when Ryan broke contact completely. Instead to what she was sure would be to the surprise of her sisters, she did the responsible thing. She gave Ryan a small smile and silently followed her into the theater._

_An hour later, Phoebe was wondering why the Hell she suggested a scary movie. There was nothing- nothing!- worth watching a bunch of teenagers get gutted. And another thing, how fucking stupid were teenagers? Hey there's a killer on the lose. Let's throw a party. Fucking nation of Einsteins. _

"_You okay?" _

_The young brunette jumped. She hadn't realized her companion had moved. "I'm fine."_

"_You're shaking." _

_Phoebe glared. "I'm cold." _

_Ryan tugged at the sleeve of the leather coat that she had lent Phoebe earlier that night. "Really?"_

_Phoebe pulled her arm away and pulled the coat tighter around her. "Yes." A blood curdling scream echoed through the small room causing Phoebe to let out a surprised yelp. She blushed under the scrutiny of knowing eyes. "I- I don't really care for scary movies," she finally admitted. _

"_We can leave." _

"_No." _

"_Fine, but I'm cold." Phoebe stared at Ryan. Surly, the woman didn't want her coat back. Before, she could shrug out of the coat, Ryan's arm was wrapping around her shoulders and tucking her into the older woman's side. "Do you mind?" _

"_No," Phoebe squeaked. She leaned her head against Ryan's shoulder and closed her eyes. Maybe, just maybe, she could understand the appeal of scary movies. _

_Stopping in front of her apartment door, Phoebe fiddled with her keys. "I guess this is goodnight then."_

_"Yeah."_

_She hoped she wasn't imagining Ryan's reluctance to call an end to their night."Would you like to come in?" She gave Ryan's hand a gentle squeeze. "I would really like for you to come in."_

_"Yeah."_

_"It's not much," Phoebe warned as she opened the door. Before all that mattered with dates that ended in her apartment was that she had a bed or couch. Sometimes that didn't even matter. A wall or a section of floor worked just as well. But Ryan was different. Ryan was special. "Would you like something to drink? I have water, juice, soda, milk." _

_"Are you okay?"_

_"I'm fine, never been better. Yep, I'm perfectly good. Why wouldn't I be?"_

_"And the reason for your babbling is?" Ryan teased._

_It was the smile, that small crooked smile, that did her in. She grabbed the older woman's shirt and yanked her down so she could finally taste those tantalizing lips and when after a moment of surprise, Ryan began to respond, Phoebe knew. Ryan would be the only one being invited into her apartment from now on._

-x-X-x-

Smiling, she climbed from bed and made her way to the weirdly bent form. Tenderly, she stroked an angular cheek. "Come to bed Ryan."

"You sure?"

Could you give yourself a lobotomy? Because, she deserved it for causing Ryan's uncertainty. She bent to kiss a wrinkled brow and repeated, "Come to bed, sweetie."

Ryan grinned, until she noticed the goose bumps on her lover's skin. "You're cold." She rushed to wrap her blanket around Phoebe. "You should have stayed in bed." She urged the younger woman to bed.

"Couldn't sleep. Ry?" She snuggled into Ryan.

"Yeah?"

"Why'd you bring up your exs?"

"I... I don't know," she lied.

Phoebe lifted her head and with hard eyes demanded, "Ryan?"

After a long moment, Ryan lifted her hand to stroke Phoebe's cheek and reluctantly admitted, "I needed to see that fire in your eyes."

"Sweetie, what happened today?" she gently whispered, while inside she seethed. A thousand scenario's rolled through her head, all culminating in a painful end for whoever was responsible for the dull green of her lover's eyes.

"Seeing Johnny today was harder than I thought it would be."

"Your dad's partner." Now, she was pissed, but only at herself. What did it say about her that she forgot that Ryan's new Captain was her dad's old partner? His last partner. "I'm sorry. I can't believe I forgot."

"You've had an exciting day."

"That's no excuse." She tried to roll away, but Ryan would have none of it and pulled her back.

"Stop, baby. I need to hold you tonight."

"I'm batting a hundred tonight, aren't I?" Phoebe pouted. What else could she mess up?

Ryan chuckled. "Despite you're batting average, I love you."

"I love you, too: more than anything," she pledged.

Ryan smiled and focused on the very real weight of her lover pressing down on her. This- Phoebe- was all that mattered, not the past. She, **she**, was everything.

~ooOoo~

The next morning, Ryan was up like clockwork. Carefully, she tried to slip out from beneath a sleeping Phoebe, but the younger woman had other ideas and tightened her hold. "Stay."

"I have to get ready for work."

"I know. There's clothes in my closet for you, and I'm coming with you to shower. Screw my sisters."

"It wasn't your sisters I had in mind."

Grinning, Phoebe pulled Ryan out of her room and to the shower. Once under the spray of the water, Phoebe pulled Ryan flush against her. "Think the water will be enough to drown us out?"

"Honestly, right now, I don't really care," Ryan assured, sliding her hands down the back of her lover's thighs. Grasping them, she lifted her witch up. Her eyes darkened as deceptively strong legs wrapped around her waist, pressing a wetness that had nothing to do with the shower against her abdomen.

"Thank God"

"Amen," Ryan murmured, pushing Phoebe against the wall, her right hand snaking to her lover's apex.

~ooOoo~

"We got an identification on the body in Chinatown," Lockley informed Ryan.

"Who is it?" Ryan sipped at her scolding coffee. Should have asked for a couple ice cubes.

"Tony Wong. He was the head of the Chinatown Triad."

The hot liquid burned her throat as it flowed down the wrong path. "Dang it!" She broke into a violent cough that luckily only lasted a small fraction of a minute. "Sorry," she apologized to her new partner and discretely wiped at her watery eyes. "Did you say Tony Wong?"

The blonde nodded. "The body is too badly burned for DNA or dental identification. All we have is his ring, which we found on the body."

"Oh." _Guess I know why he was killed. How the Hell do I explain what I know?_

"Is there a problem, Green?"

"What? Oh, no. Just thinking. What are the odds that my first case here is a Triad head?" Lockley didn't look convinced, but two fellow homicide inspectors, wanting to introduce themselves, unknowingly interceded at the perfect time to stop Ryan from having to create any more flimsy excuses.

"Inspector Green?"

"Yes."

"I'm Andy Trudeau," the white, short haired man introduced himself and pointed to the tall, black man beside him, "and this is my partner Darryl Morris."

"Nice to meet you."

"We heard about your case. We just thought we'd come over to introduce ourselves and tell ya' it isn't always that bad here."

Ryan shrugged, "Sometimes you just can't win. I only hope it was an inside job, so I don't get stuck between a gang war."

"I know what you mean. They have the habit of becoming a mess."

Ryan's cell interrupted them. "Sorry," Ryan apologized before answering, "Green."

_"Hi, sweetie."_

"Hey."

_"They're saying that Mark's body is Tony Wong."_

"I know. I just heard. How do you know?"

_"It's on the news."_

"That was quick."

_"Mark needs to be identified correctly."_

"Wouldn't being buried no matter under what name be sufficient?" A few eyebrows rose at that.

"_He has to have a proper send off under his own name."_

"My hands are tied. I have nothing to support the claim."

"_I guess me and my sisters will have to think of something."_

"Sorry."

_"It's not your fault, sweetie. I have to go, or I'll be late. Can you stop by the manor after work, please?"_

"Yeah."

_"Thank you. I'll see you later. Love you."_

"Love you too." The last syllable had barely left her lips before the sharp sound of the dial tone sounded. She slid the phone back in her pocket with an internal sigh then turned to the three watching inspectors.

"Everything alright?" Trudeau said.

"Fine. Is the ME sure there's no way to get a more definite identification?"

"Positive," Lockley answered.

"Excuse me. I need to speak with the Captain. It was nice meeting you," she threw over her shoulder.

"You too," Trudeau grumbled. "She's a bit... unusual... huh?"

Lockley shrugged. "As long as she can do her job, I don't give a damn." She left the two men to further interrogate the ME. Somehow Ryan new something she didn't, and she didn't like it one bit.

Ryan gave a sharp knock to her Captain's door.

"Come in!"

"Hey, Capt." She offered a shy smile.

"Green." His hazel eyes warmed at the sight of his old partner's kid. "What can I do for you?"

"I have reason to believe the body found in the alley is not Tony Wong."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you that. You're just going to have to trust me, Uncle Johnny."

Jonathan Baker raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Ryan to mix personal with business. "You're positive it's not Wong."

"Yes."

"Do you know who it is?"

"Yes."

"Organized crime has been breathing down my neck since Wong's been identified. They want the case. I can buy you an extra day, no more."

"Thank you." She turned to leave. A day wasn't very long.

"Hey, kid."

"Yeah, Captain?"

"Be careful."

"Always."

Free of the office, Ryan set to work on a way to prove the false identification. All the while it remained unknown to her that while she was in the Captain's office, Piper Halliwell came to the precinct and left a picture in Inspector Andy Trudeau's office mail box.

~ooOoo~

Hours later saw an exhausted, yet giddy Phoebe lying in bed. She couldn't wait to tell Ryan. She- Phoebe Halliwell- had managed to save a life. Even though the chubby mister was a stubborn ass who cost her her job, it still felt amazing to have saved his life. Ryan would be proud, especially since this time she didn't get hit by the car herself. Phoebe laughed and pulled her lover's pillow closer. Her eyes grew heavy. Ryan would have been pissed, if she ended up back in the hospital.

"HELP!" the frantic scream, yanked Phoebe from the realm of sleep.

"What the Hell?" She stumbled out of bed, stubbing her toe on the door jamb on her way out. She was halfway down the staircase when she spotted Prue running in the same direction as she.

"They took her!" Mark yelled, his finger pointing accusingly to the wide open door. "They took Piper."

"Who?" Prue demanded.

"Tony Wong's people."

"How did they know where we live?" When Mark told the sisters of his and Piper's little trip to visit Tony Wong to say Phoebe was shocked would be to say salt on a split lip only hurt a little. Wasn't she supposed to be the impulsive one? Then again, she wasn't the one pinning after a ghost. Her lover was very much alive.

"Let's go," Prue demanded. Phoebe followed, praying that Ryan had a sixth sense to know something was wrong.

~ooOoo~

Their hearts were beating madly in their chests as they stormed the warehouse. Their sister was in there, and every second that passed brought her closer to death. Both refused to entertain the idea that she had already been killed. They would know. They would feel it. She was their sister.

"Over here!" Mark shouted from the top of the stairs.

"Phoebe come on!" Prue yelled. Giving one last look to the bullet that Prue had barely managed to send off course, Phoebe sprinted to catch up. She really wished her power wasn't so useless.

Veins full of adrenaline, the two sisters kicked in the door that separated them from their third. The splinters had barely settled when they were brought face to face with Tony Wong and a gun.

For a crucial moment, they froze.

Piper gave one last violent tug to the ropes that bound her.

Wong smirked and squeezed his trigger.

"No!" Piper screamed, her hands rising to demand the freezing of the bullet.

Phoebe stared at the frozen bullet that had been on the path to her head. _Oh, God._

"A little help here," Piper whined. Her muscles were burning from their struggle to be free. As they set about freeing Piper, all three were keenly aware that none of them knew how long Wong would remain frozen. The last rope had just fallen from Piper when Wong unfroze.

"Who are you people?" To him the sisters had moved across the room with the speed of the spirits.

Prue sneered at the man who dared to harm her family. With a feeling of gleeful vengeance, Prue sent the Triad head flying through the door and down the stairs.

Wong didn't bother turning to fight. He didn't survive for as long as he had by being a fool. He ran out the door of his warehouse. The sirens he heard outside would provide him a better fate than the evil spirits that awaited him inside.

Dozens of uniforms and plain clothes waited for him on the other side. His black eyes looked for an escape and formed only one. He raised his hands above his head, his gun still firmly encased in his right. Briefly, he thought of his life, if he surrendered. They would arrest him and imprison him. Word would reach the rest of the Triad by nightfall. By the next day, he would be dead. He didn't want that. He didn't want the coldness of a misshapen blade sliding across his throat or the weight of the thin prison pillows pressing down on him. He would go out in a blaze of glory, becoming a martyr for his men.

His palm was clammy as he tightened his grip on the familiar metal of his gun and aimed. His chest was torn apart by the small, deadly metal of a cop's bullet. He crashed to the ground, his eyes glazing over. Much quicker than prison.

Inspector Trudeau cautiously approached the downed body of Wong, kicking his gun away before returning his own to his holster. He crouched down, ignoring the strong smell of iron that tickled his nose as he needlessly searched for Wong's pulse.

During the chaos that followed, only Ryan noticed the three sisters on the balcony overlooking the scene of the shooting.

~ooOoo~

"I'll get it. It's probably Ryan," Phoebe told her sisters. She sprinted to the door and flung it open. Her excited greeting died midway in her throat. "Ryan?" She reached out for her lover's hand but was turned away.

"Where are they?"

"The parlor."

Phoebe followed the older woman to the parlor. She had never seen Ryan so upset. Not even the night she told her she was a witch could compare. Even then, Ryan hadn't turned away from her touch.

"Why were you in Chinatown?"

"Wong took Piper," Phoebe whispered.

"How did Wong know about Piper?" Ryan glared at the three sisters. Her hands clenched and unclenched by her sides. She wanted to hit something, to feel the satisfaction of something crumbling beneath her hands.

"Phoebe had a vision of where Wong was. Mark and I went there and took a picture of Wong with today's newspaper. He unfroze before we could get out of there and chased after us. He probably got my license plate number," Piper explained.

"You're the one who left the photo in Trudeau's mail?"

"Yes, we grew up with Andy, and Prue's kind of dating him. I figured he would be able to help, and it was more likely for him to get the information than you since he's lived here his whole life."

"Why did you go to Wong's without calling the cops?"

"We are more than capable of taking care of ourselves," Prue insisted.

"Wong's gun was missing a few bullets. I take it he fired at you three."

The two younger sisters nodded as Prue smugly informed her, "Piper froze them."

"So while Piper doesn't know how long she can freeze a person, she's positive about how long she can freeze a bullet." Prue's smirk died. "Did any of you even think? You're new to your powers. Yet, you can sit there and act like it was a good idea to go chasing after a known killer. If you had called the cops, we would have gotten Piper out and maybe no one would have lost their life."

"It was only Wong." Prue argued.

"The man I had to kill because of your fuck up!" Ryan yelled, "If his life meant so little, then why didn't you kill him when you had the chance?" Ryan snarled. She couldn't believe the sisters could be so careless both with their own lives and others. Not only did they endanger themselves, they unnecessarily endangered every cop there. "I'm going home."

Phoebe blocked the doorway, refusing to let Ryan pass her. "You are in no state to be driving anywhere. So turn around, walk up those stairs, and get ready for bed. I'll be up in a minute." Ryan stared at Phoebe uncomprehendingly. "That wasn't a request, Ryan. Go." She softened her voice when haunted green eyes looked at her. "Go upstairs, sweetie. I promise to only be a minute."

When Ryan was out of sight, Phoebe headed to the kitchen. Her sisters followed and watched as she pulled a glass out of the cupboard and milk out of the fridge. She poured the milk in the glass and placed it in the microwave. "She likes warm milk."

"Is Ryan alright?" Piper asked. She had been painfully aware that Ryan hadn't once reached out to touch her sister that night. In the time Ryan had been there, she had never witnessed the two women not touching each other in some way when they were in the same room. She hoped that her actions didn't cost her baby sister the best thing that ever happened to her.

"She will be," Phoebe replied, pulling the warm milk out of the microwave. "Her parents raised her to value every life, taking Wong's went against that." She searched through the cupboard for the liquid chocolate she knew was there. Finding the chocolate, she opened the cap and poured a healthy amount into the milk.

"If she values life so much, why did she become a cop?" Piper wondered.

"She knows the pain of losing everything and never knowing the answer as to why someone would take it. She doesn't want someone else going through the same thing." She left her sisters in the kitchen. She had more important things to do than answering their questions, and it wasn't her story to tell.

She opened her door and was met with the rigid back of her girlfriend as she looked out the window. She set the milk on the nightstand, walked over to wrap her arms around her lover's waist, and tiredly rested her head between the prominent shoulder blades. She hated the tension she could feel in the body in her arms.

"Are you okay?" It was a stupid question, but she couldn't think of another way to break the oppressing silence.

Only getting a shrug for an answer, she squeezed herself between Ryan and the window, forcing green eyes to look at her. "Do you want to talk about it?" The sharp jaw clenched. "I'll take that as a no." She leaned up to kiss her lover's chin. "If you won't talk, then I will."

Ryan pulled back to break Phoebe's embrace. "Not now."

"Ry?" Phoebe asked uncertain. For the first time, she couldn't get a solid read on Ryan's mood.

"Let's just go to bed." With those words echoing through the room, Ryan set about taking off her badge and her empty gun holster. It acted as a stark reminder of the shots that had been fired.

"I'm sorry," Phoebe croaked as the nightstand drawer was shut with a slight push of Ryan's thigh.

Her apology froze Ryan in mid-motion of untucking her shirt. "There's nothing to apologize for." Mechanically, she went back to taking her shirt off.

"We should have called you when we realized what happened to Piper."

"It's fine Phoebe." She tossed her dress shirt onto the chair.

"If everything's fine, why won't you look at me?" No explanation was given. "Tell me what's wrong."

Ryan didn't hear the desperately voiced words. Her eyes and mind were focused on the specks of blood on her hands. It must have happened when she had bent over the body, to close Wong's eyes. "I'm going to take a shower," she grumbled distractedly as she headed for the bathroom.

Determined, Phoebe followed her cop. When she got there, the bathroom was already full of steam. She could just make out the distorted figure of her lover, palms against the wall and head bent down under the spray of the water.

Ryan didn't bother to move when she heard the shower door open and close behind her or when the witch's small body pressed against her back while arms wrapped around her stomach.

"I didn't know about the picture until after the fact, or I would have told you. You deserved a call." Phoebe kissed the back of her lover's tan neck. "I'm so sorry that our actions led to you taking a life."

Ryan's eyes remained on the small hands resting on her stomach. "I'd never hurt you."

"I know that."

"I'd never hurt you."

"I know." A vehement shake of a dark head stopped her from saying anything further.

"When I realized you were in that building that Wong had shot at you, my only regret was that I didn't make him suffer before killing him. What does that say about me? I killed a man and my only regret is _**how**_ I killed him."

"You're protective, extremely protective."

"That doesn't make it right."

"Maybe not, but Ryan, you protect what you love at all costs. I have no doubt if I wasn't involved in this you would have felt guilty about killing Wong. However, it's not in you to feel guilty about doing whatever you have to, to protect me. I understand that. I can live with that. Truth be told, I love that about you. I know I'm safe when I'm with you. That you would never let anyone hurt me."

"Never," Ryan whispered.

Phoebe smiled and maneuvered herself so that she was between her lover and the wall. "I love you, all of you." She nibbled along the sharp line her lover's jaw. "Take me to bed. I want to spend the rest of the night showing you just how much I love you."

Ryan smiled. She had never been able to deny those mesmerizing, chocolate eyes anything. "You're a tricky witch."

"I'm your tricky witch. Are you going to take care of your tricky witch?"

While gathering Phoebe in her arms to carry to the bedroom, Ryan vowed, "For the rest of my life."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Some of you may recognize the character Kate Lockley from **_**Angel**_**, and for those of you who don't do not worry. This isn't going to turn into some detailed, complicated crossover. I just chose Lockley because I liked her in **_**Angel,**_** and I didn't feel like making another OC. I figured there's going to be enough of those in upcoming chapters with Ryan's family and past. Also, I wanted Ryan to have a partner that knows about the more magical side of life. I figured it could be interesting.**


End file.
